The lifeless body of South Africa’s ambassador to France was discovered at the foot of the Hyatt Regency hotel, a towering high rise in Porte Maillot, western Paris, French outlets Le Parisien and Le Figaro reported on Tuesday.
According to French media, Ambassador Nkosinathi Emmanuel “Nathi” Mthethwa, 58, had been missing since Monday afternoon and is believed to have plunged from the 22nd floor of the hotel in the 17th arrondissement of the French capital around 1 pm on Tuesday.
Both Paris police and the Hyatt declined to comment, while repeated calls to the South African Embassy went unanswered.
Mthethwa was reported missing by his wife after she received a concerning text message from him, Le Parisien said. His phone signal was later traced to the Bois de Boulogne, but he was still unaccounted for until his body was found.
A spokesperson for South Africa’s foreign affairs department confirmed they were “aware of unfortunate reports pertaining to Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa” and promised to release an official statement once verified details were available.
Just days earlier, on Saturday, the ambassador had attended the 109th anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Delville Wood in Longueval, Department de la Somme.
