South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Emmanuel “Nathi” Mthethwa, was discovered dead on Tuesday outside the Hyatt Regency hotel in western Paris, French prosecutors have confirmed.
His wife had reported him missing on Monday evening after receiving a distressing message.
Investigators later traced him to a 22nd-floor room of the hotel, where a forced window was found.
An inquiry has been opened, but authorities have not disclosed the cause of death.
French daily Le Parisien reported that the 57-year-old diplomat may have taken his own life, though officials have not confirmed this.
South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation described Mthethwa’s passing as “a national loss,” praising his decades of public service.
Before his diplomatic appointment, Mthethwa served as Minister of Arts and Culture between 2014 and 2019, and later as Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture from 2019 to 2023.