South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Mthethwa has been found dead outside a high-rise hotel in Paris, French authorities confirmed on Tuesday. He was 58.
The body of the veteran diplomat and former cabinet minister was discovered at the foot of the Hyatt Regency hotel in western Paris late Monday, hours after his wife reported him missing.
According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, Mthethwa had booked a room on the 22nd floor where a secured window was found forcibly opened.
French media have reported the death as a suspected suicide although official investigations are ongoing.
Appointed ambassador in December 2023, Mthethwa was tasked with strengthening bilateral ties between South Africa and France.
His death has been described as a “national loss” by South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), which praised his decades of public service.
“His lifelong commitment to public duty was further exemplified by his longstanding contribution to the African National Congress [ANC] through its highest decision-making structures,” DIRCO said in a statement.
“I have no doubt that his passing is not only a national loss but is also felt within the international diplomatic community,” International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola added.
Mthethwa’s career spanned over two decades in government and parliament.
He served as Minister of Police, Minister of Arts and Culture, and later Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture.
He also held senior roles within the ANC, including membership in the National Executive Committee and National Working Committee.
He was a Member of Parliament from 2002 to 2023 and chaired the Minerals and Energy Portfolio Committee before becoming Chief Whip of the ANC in 2008.
Born in January 1967, Mthethwa is survived by his wife and children.
JN/APA