Who was Nkosinathi Emmanuel Mthethwa? Diplomat Plunges From Paris Hotel's 22nd Floor After Sending 'Worrying' Message To His Wife

The body of South Africa's ambassador to France was discovered on Tuesday morning outside the Hyatt Regency hotel in Paris's Porte Maillot district.

Nkosinathi Emmanuel 'Nathi' Mthethwa, 58, had checked into a room on the building's 22nd floor, where investigators found that a secured window had been forced open.

His wife reported him missing late Monday after receiving a worrying text message that prompted immediate concern. According to French media outlets, his mobile phone last showed activity around 3 pm on Monday near the Bois de Boulogne, a large park in Paris's 16th arrondissement. Police deployed dog units to search the area before discovering the ambassador's body the following morning, directly below the Hyatt hotel.

Paris Prosecutor Opens Investigation Into Ambassador's Sudden Death

The Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mthethwa's death at the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile. While French media, including Le Parisien, have reported that investigators believe the former South African police minister may have taken his own life, authorities have not officially confirmed this assessment. A duty magistrate has been assigned to oversee the inquiry into the diplomat's fall from the 22nd floor.

South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation announced Mthethwa's passing with deep sorrow and profound regret. Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola described the loss as one that would resonate throughout the international diplomatic community.

From ANC Youth Leader to South African Ambassador in France

Appointed to his ambassadorial post in December 2023, Mthethwa presented his credentials as South Africa's ambassador on 29 February 2024. He also served as the nation's permanent delegate to UNESCO in Paris until his death.

Born on 23 January 1967 in Clermont township outside Durban, the former minister began his political journey as a teenager, joining the Klaarwater Youth Organisation in 1982. He was arrested during the apartheid regime's 1989 state of emergency and later recruited to do underground work for the African National Congress's Operation Vula.

After entering Parliament in 2002, he rose through the ranks of the ANC to become Chief Whip of the Majority Party in January 2008. President Kgalema Motlanthe appointed him Minister of Safety and Security in September 2008, a position that evolved into Minister of Police under President Jacob Zuma.

Marikana Massacre and Controversial Police Ministry Tenure

Mthethwa served as South Africa's police minister during the August 2012 Marikana massacre, when South African police opened fire on striking platinum miners, killing 34 people. The incident marked the most lethal use of force by South African security forces against civilians since the 1976 Soweto uprising.

When he appeared before the Marikana Commission of Inquiry in July 2014, Mthethwa accepted political accountability, saying 'something terribly wrong took place' at Marikana. However, the commission's report stated it was 'unable to find positively in Minister Mthethwa's favour' regarding whether he had provided guidance to police that influenced their tactics during the deadly confrontation.

He later served as Minister of Arts and Culture from May 2014 to May 2019, when his portfolio expanded to include sports; however, he was removed from the cabinet by President Cyril Ramaphosa in March 2023. He resigned from the National Assembly a week later, before receiving his diplomatic appointment to France.

Mthethwa was married to Philisiwe Buthelezi, a businesswoman and chief executive of the National Empowerment Fund, whom he met at an ANC conference in 2009. He is survived by his wife and children. The South African embassy in Paris and French authorities continue to investigate the tragic circumstances surrounding the ambassador's death at the Hyatt hotel in the Porte Maillot area.