Overview

• Nkosinathi “Nathi” Mthethwa, 58, was discovered Tuesday below the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile after being reported missing the previous evening.
• His wife told authorities she received a message in which he apologized and expressed an intention to take his own life, according to the Paris prosecutor.
• A duty magistrate attended the scene and the Paris judicial police’s BRDP opened an investigation that remains active.
• Police traced his phone near the Bois de Boulogne around 3 p.m. Monday and conducted searches with canine units in the area.
• Investigators reported no immediate signs of a struggle or drug use, while South Africa’s government confirmed his death and President Cyril Ramaphosa offered condolences; Mthethwa was a former police and arts, culture and sports minister appointed ambassador in December 2023.