South Africa’s ambassador to France was found dead on Tuesday at the foot of the Hyatt Regency hotel, a high-rise tower in the west of Paris, the Reuters news agency reported, citing the Paris prosecutor’s office.
South Africa’s government, in a statement sent to CBS News, confirmed that Ambassador Nkosinathi Emmanuel “Nathi” Mthethwa had died, noting with “deep sorrow and profound regret the untimely passing” of the diplomat.
“The circumstances of his death are under investigation by the French authorities,” the South African foreign ministry said in the statement.
South African Ambassador to France Nkosinathi Emmanuel
Mthethwa was reported missing by his wife on Monday evening, according to Reuters, which said she had received a worrying text message from him before calling police.
Reuters cited the prosecutor’s office as saying Mthethwa was staying in a 22nd story room, in which a secured window had been found forced open.
French media, including the Le Parisien newspaper, said investigators believed Mthethwa likely had killed himself.
Mthethwa previously served as the Minister of Police in South Africa between 2009 and 2014. Within the last few weeks, a Judicial Commission of Inquiry into alleged corruption, criminality and political interference in the country’s criminal justice system started work.
Two weeks ago, the provincial police commissioner in South Africa’s Kwa-Zulu Natal province, Nhlanhla Mkwanazi, alleged at the commission that when Mthethwa was the national police minister, he interfered in an investigation into a head of criminal intelligence by asking the Inspector General of Intelligence to drop charges all charges against him.
In a statement, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Mthethwa “untimely passing” was a a moment of “deep grief” for the nation, adding that he had “served our nation in diverse capacities during a lifetime that has ended prematurely and traumatically.”
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