South Africa’s Ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, was discovered dead at the foot of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Paris on Tuesday, igniting a wave of speculation and concern just one day after his wife reported him missing. The 58-year-old former Police Minister served in the cabinet from 2008 until 2023 and was well-known in political circles, making his untimely death all the more perplexing.
The troubling circumstances surrounding Mthethwa’s death have prompted Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Member of Parliament Carl Niehaus to demand a thorough investigation. Niehaus expressed his condolences to Mthethwa’s family, particularly his wife, and highlighted the need for clarity regarding the cause of death. “Let me express my deep sympathy to the family of Nathi Mthethwa and also specifically to his wife. The death of Nathi Mthethwa was not a natural death; it happened under what are evidently suspicious circumstances,” Niehaus stated.
He raised critical questions that have yet to be answered: “We need to ask questions about how Nathi Mthethwa died under these circumstances, at a time where he was mentioned by Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi. It is critically important that the circumstances of his death have to be carefully investigated.”
French authorities are currently looking into the situation, and a video released by local news outlets shows police at the scene, indicating a serious ongoing investigation.