Paris/Johannesburg — South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Emmanuel “Nathi” Mthethwa, 58, has been reported missing since Monday, with French media alleging he fell from a high floor of a Paris hotel on Tuesday. French authorities and the hotel have not confirmed the reports, and South Africa’s foreign ministry says it will comment once official information is available.
Le Parisien reported that Mthethwa’s wife alerted authorities after receiving a worrying text message on Monday. His phone was later traced to the Bois de Boulogne in western Paris, but he could not be located. On Tuesday at around 1 p.m., he is alleged to have fallen from the 22nd floor of a hotel in the capital’s 17th arrondissement. Paris police and the Hyatt declined to comment, and calls to the South African Embassy in Paris went unanswered.
South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said it was “aware of unfortunate reports pertaining to Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa” and would issue a statement when facts were confirmed. There was no immediate comment from French officials on the status of any investigation.
Mthethwa, a veteran politician and former cabinet minister, attended commemorations on Saturday marking the 109th anniversary of the Battle of Delville Wood in Longueval, Somme — a key First World War memorial event for South Africa. He was appointed ambassador to France and permanent delegate to UNESCO in March 2024.
An anti-apartheid activist from his youth, Mthethwa joined the ANC Youth League in 1990 and served on its National Executive Committee from 1994 to 2001. He entered parliament in 2002, became the ANC’s Chief Whip in 2008, and went on to hold several ministerial portfolios between 2008 and 2023, including Police, and later Arts and Culture, which in 2019 was expanded to include Sports.
As of Tuesday night, officials in both countries had released no verified account of Mthethwa’s whereabouts or condition. DIRCO urged patience while it sought “official information” from French counterparts.
