SA ambassador to France Nathi Mthethwa dies after 22nd-floor plunge in Paris

By Johnathan Paoli

South Africa’s ambassador to France and former Cabinet minister, Nathi Mthethwa, has been found dead in Paris under circumstances that have shocked both French and South African authorities.

French newspaper Le Parisien reported that the 58-year-old diplomat’s body was discovered on Tuesday at the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile, where he had checked into a room on the 22nd floor.

Investigators said the window of his hotel room had been forced open.

According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, Mthethwa’s wife raised the alarm after receiving a “worrying message” from him on Monday evening.

Police launched a search of the Bois de Boulogne and surrounding areas after he was last seen that afternoon.

His body was located the following day, reportedly after a fall from the upper floors of the hotel.

While police have not confirmed the cause of death, French media outlets have reported it as a suspected