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South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Emmanuel “Nathi” Mthethwa, has been found dead at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Porte Maillot, western Paris, French media reported on Tuesday.
According to Le Parisien and Le Figaro, Mthethwa is believed to have fallen from the 22nd floor of the high-rise hotel around 1 pm on Tuesday. He had been reported missing by his wife the previous afternoon after she received a troubling text message from him. His phone was later traced to the Bois de Boulogne, but he could not be located at the time.
Paris police and the Hyatt have declined to comment, while calls to the South African Embassy in Paris have gone unanswered. South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said it was “aware of unfortunate reports pertaining to Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa” and would issue a formal statement once official details were confirmed.
Mthethwa, 57, attended the 109th Anniversary of the Battle of Delville Wood in Longueval, Somme, on Saturday, just days before his death.
A distinguished career
Appointed Ambassador to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO in March 2024, Mthethwa was a prominent figure in South African politics for more than three decades.
He joined the ANC Youth League in 1990 and rose to its National Executive Committee in 1994, serving as secretary until 2001. Elected to parliament in 2002, he became ANC Chief Whip in 2008 before holding several ministerial portfolios between 2008 and 2023, including Arts and Culture, later expanded to include Sports.
Tributes are expected to follow as the South African government and international partners absorb news of his sudden death.
