South Africa’s ambassador to France, and former Cabinet Minister, Nathi Mthethwa, has been found dead in Paris after going missing on Monday afternoon. He was 58 years old.
According to French authorities, Mthethwa’s body was discovered on Tuesday outside the Hyatt Hotel near Porte Maillot in the 17th arrondissement. Investigators believe he fell from the 22nd floor of the building, where a secure window had been forced open.
The diplomat’s disappearance was first reported on Monday by his wife, who told police she had received a troubling message from him that evening. His security detail noticed he was missing around 3 p.m. but only raised the alarm later in the day.
French police launched a search, tracing his phone signal to the Bois de Boulogne in the 16th arrondissement, before his body was ultimately found near the hotel on Tuesday, around midday.
The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation, with the Criminal Investigation Department’s Brigade for the Suppression of Crimes Against Persons (BRDP) handling the case.
The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, confirmed Mthethwa’s passing, announcing it “with deep sorrow and profound regret.”
“Ambassador Mthethwa was a distinguished servant of the nation, whose career was marked by dedicated service in critical ministerial portfolios, including Minister of Police and Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture. He also served on the Board of Directors for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Local Organising Committee. His lifelong commitment to public duty was further exemplified by his longstanding contribution to the African National Congress through its highest decision-making structures,” Lamola said in a statement.
Appointed to the diplomatic post in December 2023, Mthethwa had been tasked with strengthening bilateral relations between South Africa and France.
Lamola added: “I have no doubt that his passing is not only a national loss but is also felt within the international diplomatic community.”
The government expressed its “deepest and most sincere condolences” to Mthethwa’s family, friends, and colleagues. He is survived by his wife and children.
President Ramaphosa Pays Tribute
President Cyril Ramaphosa said he was “saddened by the passing of Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa”, describing his death in Paris as a national tragedy.
The President extended his condolences to Mthethwa’s wife, Ms Philisiwe Buthelezi, their family, and officials at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, including staff at South Africa’s embassy in Paris.
He also conveyed sympathies to France’s leadership, noting the ambassador had established strong ties with the French Presidency and Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs since taking up the post.
“The untimely passing of Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa is a moment of deep grief in which government and citizens stand beside the Mthethwa family,” Ramaphosa said.
“Ambassador Mthethwa has served our nation in diverse capacities during a lifetime that has ended prematurely and traumatically. In his last tenure of service, he facilitated the deepening of relations between South Africa and the Republic of France, which has produced benefits for individuals and businesses in both countries and advanced our cooperation in the global arena. May his soul rest in peace.”
