South African ambassador to France found dead in Paris
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South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, was found dead outside a Paris hotel. President Cyril Ramaphosa called the death “untimely” as French authorities investigate.
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South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Emmanuel “Nathi” Mthethwa, in an undated picture published by the South African government (X/@GovernmentZA)
South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Emmanuel “Nathi” Mthethwa, was found dead at 58 on Tuesday outside a Paris hotel, French prosecutors confirmed.
According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, Mthethwa had checked into a room on the 22nd floor of a high-rise hotel, where the secured window had been forced open. His body was discovered directly outside the building.
A source close to the case told AFP that Mthethwa had struggled with depression, suggesting the death could have been a suicide. French authorities have opened an investigation.
The ambassador’s wife reported his disappearance on Monday evening after receiving "a worrying message" from him, prosecutors added.
Mthethwa had been serving as ambassador to France since December 2023.
Ramaphosa mourns 'untimely death'
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed shock and grief at the news, calling it “a moment of deep grief in which government and citizens stand beside the Mthethwa family.”
“Ambassador Mthethwa has served our nation in diverse capacities during a lifetime that has ended prematurely and traumatically,” Ramaphosa said in a statement.
A ministerial statement confirmed that French authorities are investigating the circumstances of his “untimely death.”
#GovZAUpdates | STATEMENT - PRESIDENT MOURNS PASSING OF AMBASSADOR EMMANUEL NKOSINATHI “NATHI” MTHETHWA
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) September 30, 2025
President @CyrilRamaphosa is saddened by the passing of Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa, South Africa’s Head of Mission in Paris, who has died in tragic circumstances in the French… pic.twitter.com/tPzSNTvjjd
Who was Nathi Mthethwa?
Mthethwa was a long-serving member of the African National Congress (ANC) and a close associate of former president Jacob Zuma.
He held several ministerial posts over his career:
- Minister of Arts and Culture (2014–2019)
- Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture (2019–2023)
- Police Minister (2009–2014)
- Minister of Security (2008–2009)
He also sat on the board of directors of the 2010 FIFA World Cup local organizing committee in South Africa.
Between 2007 and 2022, he was a senior ANC official and had been active in the party’s armed wing during apartheid. He was arrested during the 1989 state of emergency for his underground political work.
Read more: The Silent Genocide: South Africa and its role in supporting Gaza
