South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Mthethwa, has been found dead in Paris.
Gatekeepers News reports that reports from Le Parisien indicate that the diplomat is believed to have fallen from the 22nd floor of the Hyatt Hotel.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that his wife alerted authorities after she received a worrying message from him earlier in the evening.
Investigators also disclosed that his phone was last active around 3 p.m. on Monday in the Bois de Boulogne area, located in the city’s 16th arrondissement.
The Brigade for the Repression of Personal Crime (BRDP) of the Paris judicial police has opened an investigation into the incident.
Mthethwa, who was appointed to the French mission in February, also served as South Africa’s permanent delegate to UNESCO.
The 58-year-old had a long political career, previously overseeing the ministries of sports, arts, and culture; police; and safety and security. From 2004 to 2008, he chaired the parliamentary committee on mines and energy.
