The 58-year-old Mthethwa was reported missing by his wife on Monday.
South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, did not have a protection detail at the time of his death, says the Department of International Relations (Dirco).
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.
No security
News of Mthethwa’s death broke on Tuesday after his body was found at a hotel in the French capital, Paris.
Dirco spokesperson Chrispin Phiri told The Citizen Mthethwa was alone at the time of his death.
“Ambassadors do not have security,” he said.
Meanwhile, French authorities probing Mthethwa’s case have not yet found a cause of death.
Hotel
The Paris prosecutor’s office launched an investigation into the death of Mthethwa soon after his body was found.
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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Investigation
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.
“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.
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.
Condolences
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 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”.
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