South Africa has dispatched five senior police investigators to Paris to assist French authorities in probing the death of Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa.
The 58-year-old diplomat was found dead on Tuesday in the inner courtyard of the Hyatt Regency Hotel after reportedly falling from the 22nd floor. National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said the delegation comprises seasoned officers tasked with ensuring a “thorough and transparent investigation.”
Mthethwa had been reported missing a day earlier by his wife, who alerted authorities after receiving a troubling message in which he allegedly apologised and indicated plans to end his life. French prosecutors say early findings point to suicide, though suspicions of foul play persist.
A longtime ally of former President Jacob Zuma, Mthethwa’s public life was marked by both influence and controversy. As police minister, he oversaw the 2012 Marikana massacre, where 34 miners were killed by police gunfire.
Just two weeks before his death, Mthethwa was named in testimony before the Madlanga Commission, investigating political interference in law enforcement. The inquiry heard claims that he obstructed justice during his ministerial tenure in 2011.
His family is awaiting the completion of formal procedures in France before his body can be repatriated to South Africa.
