South Africa’s top diplomat in France found dead near Paris hotel

Ethiomonitor -Addis Ababa 

October  1, 2025

In a tragic turn of events, South Africa’s Ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Emmanuel Mthethwa, was found dead at the foot of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Paris on Tuesday. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that the 58-year-old diplomat had left a suicide note addressed to his wife.
The lifeless body of Ambassador Mthethwa was discovered by a security guard in the hotel’s interior courtyard on Tuesday morning. Reports indicate that he had booked a room on the 22nd floor of the hotel and is believed to have jumped from there around 1 PM local time.
He had been reported missing since Monday afternoon.
Concerns for his well-being arose when his wife received a troubling text message from him, prompting her to alert authorities. Although his phone was traced to the Bois de Boulogne, he remained unaccounted for until the grim discovery.
Paris Police and representatives of the Hyatt Regency have refrained from commenting on the incident, and calls to the South African Embassy have gone unanswered. A spokesperson for South Africa’s Department of Foreign Affairs acknowledged awareness of the situation, stating that they would release an official statement once more information became available.
Ambassador Mthethwa had recently attended the 109th Anniversary of the Battle of Delville Wood in Longueval, located in the Department de la Somme, just days before his passing. He had been appointed South Africa’s Ambassador to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO in March 2024.

A prominent anti-apartheid activist, Mthethwa joined the Youth League of South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) in 1990. He was elected to the ANC’s National Executive Committee in 1994, serving as secretary until 2001. His political career continued as he entered parliament in 2002, eventually becoming the Chief Whip of the ANC in 2008. Over the years, he held several ministerial roles, including Minister of Arts and Culture, and from 2019 to 2023, he added sports to his portfolio.
The loss of Ambassador Mthethwa is a significant one, both for South Africa and for the diplomatic community in France.