South African Ambassador to France Nathi Mthethwa died in Paris after falling from his 22nd-floor hotel room window, authorities reported Tuesday. The 58-year-old diplomat was discovered in an interior courtyard at the Hyatt Regency Hotel around 11:10 a.m. by security personnel. His wife had alerted police after receiving a message Monday night in which he apologized and stated his intent to take his own life.
Investigators found scissors used to force open the window's safety mechanism but detected no signs of struggle or drugs in the room. Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said examinations continue to establish the death's cause while early findings suggest a deliberate act without outside involvement. Mthethwa had checked into the hotel Monday after booking the room 10 days earlier.
The diplomat served as a senior member of the African National Congress and held cabinet positions overseeing police and arts before his December 2023 appointment to France. President Cyril Ramaphosa described the death as premature and deeply sorrowful for the nation.
Investigators found scissors used to force open the window's safety mechanism but detected no signs of struggle or drugs in the room. Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said examinations continue to establish the death's cause while early findings suggest a deliberate act without outside involvement. Mthethwa had checked into the hotel Monday after booking the room 10 days earlier.
The diplomat served as a senior member of the African National Congress and held cabinet positions overseeing police and arts before his December 2023 appointment to France. President Cyril Ramaphosa described the death as premature and deeply sorrowful for the nation.
