Mthethwa’s body was discovered at the Hyatt Hotel.
The Paris prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the death of South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa.
The 58-year-old Mthethwa was reported missing by his wife on Monday after she received a worrying text message from him, according to prosecutors.
In a statement, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said Mthethwa had booked a room on the 22nd floor of the Hyatt Regency hotel on the western edge of the French capital.
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Beccuau said the room’s window had been forced open with scissors that were left at the scene and Mthethwa’s body was found in the hotel’s courtyard shortly after 11am by a security guard.
Investigation
Investigators did not find any signs of a struggle at the scene, or any evidence that drugs or medication had been involved, Beccuau said in her statement, according to the New York Times.
“While initial investigations suggest that this may have been a deliberate act, without the involvement of a third party, the purpose of this investigation is to gather any information that may be useful in understanding what happened,” she said.
Portfolio
Mthethwa was appointed South Africa’s ambassador to France last year. Before that, he served as the police minister from 2009 to 2014, before assuming the portfolios for arts and culture and later sport.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended his condolences to the Mthethwa family, describing his untimely passing as a “moment of deep grief”.
“In his last tenure of service, he has facilitated the deepening of relations between the 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.”
International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola described Mthethwa’s death as a “national loss.”
Madlanga Commission
Mthethwa was recently implicated at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry for political interference during his time as police minister. He was also reportedly on a list of witnesses to be questioned by Parliament’s ad hoc committee into alleged misconduct, collusion and corruption in the police.
During the commission hearings, KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said that Mthethwa had attempted to influence the inspector general of intelligence, Faith Radebe, to drop charges against Richard Mdluli, a former head of police crime intelligence.
Mthethwa is one of three police ministers who have been implicated in political interference, as evidenced to the commission.
Additional reporting by Itumeleng Mafisa
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