Nathi Mthethwa’s Paris death — French authorities say 'no signs of struggle' in 22nd floor hotel room

French authorities say that initial inquiries into the death of South Africa’s Ambassador to France and former Cabinet minister, Nathi Mthethwa, suggest it may have been a deliberate act, with no signs of struggle before he apparently fell from the 22nd floor of Paris’ tallest hotel on Tuesday, 30 September 2025, after being reported missing on Monday.

His death was confirmed by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola on Tuesday, amid reports that he may have plunged to his death from the 34-storey Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile hotel, where he had a room reserved on the 22nd floor.

The French publication LeParisien said the ambassador’s disappearance was reported by his wife on Monday, “who indicated that she had received a worrying message from him in the evening”, fearing a possible suicide, according to the publication. According to Reuters, a French prosecutor said Mthethwa sent a message to his wife on Monday “in which he apologised and expressed his intention to end his life”.

French authorities are currently investigating whether “the 58-year-old diplomat deliberately jumped from the 22nd floor of the four-star hotel”, according to LeParisien.

That is what the investigation into the cause of death, entrusted to the 1st Judicial Police District (DPJ) of Paris, will need to determine. For now, the initial inquiries “suggest that it could be a deliberate act, without the involvement of a third party”, the public prosecutor’s office emphasised.

LeParisien reported that a duty magistrate went to the scene around midday. The publication also claimed authorities said Mthethwa had booked the hotel room “about 10 days earlier”.

“That same evening, around 9.30pm, Nkosinathi Emmanuel Mthethwa sent a final ‘disturbing message’ to his wife. He offered her ‘his apologies’ and expressed ‘his intention to end his life’. It was on Tuesday, around 11.10am, that a security guard at the Hyatt hotel made the grim discovery ‘in the hotel’s inner courtyard’. In his room, located on the 22nd floor of the tower, the ‘window safety mechanism’ had been ‘forced with scissors left on site’ . Neither ‘signs of struggle’, nor evidence of ‘medication or drug use’, were found,” LeParisien reported.

According to News24, windows in rooms at the Hyatt Regency were secured and could only be opened about 10cm wide. 

Mthethwa’s phone was reportedly last active in the Bois de Boulogne, a large park located kilometres away from the hotel. 

Ramaphosa statement

In a statement on Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said, “The untimely passing of Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa is 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 offered his condolences to Mthethwa’s wife, Philisiwe Buthelezi, and his extended family.

“In his last tenure of service, he has facilitated the deepening of relations between South and the Republic of France, which has produced benefits for individuals and businesses in both countries and advanced our cooperation in the global arena.

“May his soul rest in peace.”

In December 2023, Mthethwa was appointed as the country’s ambassador to France, tasked with strengthening ties between Pretoria and Paris.  

“I have no doubt that his passing is not only a national loss, but is also felt within the international diplomatic community,” Lamola said.  

ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri described Mthethwa as “not merely a public official”, saying he was a committed cadre of the liberation struggle and a dedicated servant of the people in the democratic era. 

“His life was one of both struggle and service. From the years of resistance, clandestine work and sacrifice, comrade Mthethwa contributed to the collective efforts that won our democracy. In the post-1994 era, he accepted the responsibilities of shaping the new South Africa,” she said.  

Meanwhile, UDM leader Bantu Holomisa described him as a professional and wise diplomat whose commitment “earned him the respect and admiration of colleagues and international partners alike”.

Holomisa recalled how Mthethwa, through the South African Embassy in Paris, provided “vital logistical support, mobility arrangements and a comprehensive briefing” during his visit to France in June 2025.  

“His guidance and insights were invaluable in ensuring that our engagements were well prepared, strategically aligned, and impactful in representing South Africa’s interests,” Holomisa said. 

Controversy

Mthethwa’s career was not without controversy. As police minister, he presided over one of the country’s darkest democratic moments, the 2012 Marikana massacre, when 34 striking mine workers were gunned down by police.   

Read more: Marikana Commission: Mthethwa under fire

Daily Maverick reported at the time that Mthethwa “struggled to respond with the political accountability required”, while opposition parties accused him of ducking responsibility for the bloodshed. Calls for his resignation grew, but he remained in his post until 2014.

Later, as minister of sport, arts and culture, Mthethwa again found himself under fire, this time over the proposed R22-million “monumental flag” project, which he unveiled in 2022.  

The initiative was billed as a nation-building exercise, but instead provoked widespread anger in a country battling unemployment, inequality and hunger. Daily Maverick described the plan as “an extravagance completely at odds with the lived reality of millions of South Africans”.

Read more: Nathi Mthethwa’s (final?) monumental red flag

The public backlash was so intense that President Cyril Ramaphosa intervened and ordered that the project be scrapped. Mthethwa conceded that the flag had become “a divisive issue rather than a unifying one”, but the episode cemented his image as a minister out of touch with ordinary citizens. DM

Read more: Nathi Mthethwa’s silent and untouchable hand behind illegal Zuma, State Capture prosecutions

This is a developing story and will be updated. 

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