Following the sudden death of former minister and ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, reports emerged that he told his wife he intended to end his life.
According to the Paris Prosecutor’s Office, his wife, Philisiwe Buthelezi, raised the alarm on Monday, 29 September, after she received a troubling message from him.
She had last seen him earlier that afternoon before he was due to attend a cocktail event but later received a message in which he apologised and expressed his intention to take his own life, as per News24.
The following morning, on 30 September, at around 11:10am, a security guard at the Hyatt Hotel discovered Mthethwa’s body in the hotel’s interior courtyard. Investigators revealed that he had booked a room on the 22nd floor, where a secured window had been forced open. Scissors were also found at the scene.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed that the early findings point to a deliberate act, with no evidence of any outside involvement.
His death comes just two weeks after allegations of political interference resurfaced against him. During testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria, KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi claimed that Mthethwa had pressured him to abandon proceedings against former Crime Intelligence boss Richard Mdluli in 2011.
Mdluli was accused of abusing a secret slush fund, but Mkhwanazi told the inquiry that Mthethwa ordered him to halt the investigation after accusing him of influencing the inspector-general of intelligence to pursue the case.
Describing the ordeal as ‘the worst political interference’ he had experienced, Mkhwanazi said he eventually stepped down as acting national commissioner after clashing with Mthethwa.
In a tragic turn of events, South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nkosinathi ‘Nathi’ Mthethwa, has been found dead just 24 hours after being reported missing.
French media outlets, including the Daily Star, have reported that Mthethwa’s body was discovered outside the Hyatt Hotel in Porte Maillot. Initial investigations indicate that the 58-year-old may have jumped from the hotel’s 22nd floor.
According to reports, his disappearance on Monday had prompted immediate concern, particularly when his phone last registered activity around 3pm near the Bois de Boulogne in Paris.
Authorities suspected a possible suicide, leading to a search operation that included a team of specially trained dogs combing the wooded area of western Paris. Ultimately, the search culminated in tragedy with the discovery of Mthethwa’s body outside the hotel, as per a report by Daily Star.
Mthethwa was appointed ambassador in February 2024, a prominent role following a distinguished political career in South Africa. Before taking up his ambassadorial duties, he served as Minister of Arts and Culture from May 2014 to 2019, and later held the position of Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture from 2019 to 2023.
His extensive involvement with the African National Congress (ANC) further highlighted his commitment to serving the nation, where he was a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Working Committee (NWC) over many years.
As the news continues to develop, both the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and the South African Government are yet to comment.
First Published on Cape {town} Etc
