Nathi Mthethwa’s Final Days In Paris: Hotel Booking Details And Last Message Revealed

South Africa’s Ambassador to France, Nkosinathi “Nathi” Mthethwa, who tragically passed away this week in Paris, had made hotel arrangements almost two weeks before his death occurred.

The 58-year-old diplomat, a former cabinet minister, reserved a room at the Hyatt Regency on 15 September for a stay beginning on 27 September and ending 28 September 2025. He later requested a postponement, moving the check-in date to Monday, 29 September, the day he disappeared.

French police confirmed the timeline of his booking to his family, including his widow, Philisiwe Buthelezi, who is currently in France.

Family spokesperson Sifiso Buthelezi, a former deputy finance minister, told Newzroom Afrika: “He ended up postponing it to the 29th (Monday) and that is the day on which he disappeared. On the 29th indeed he came, he checked in, and that is why they were checking the cameras. That is the information they gave us.”

Final Moments and Distressing Message

Mthethwa was last seen by his wife on Monday afternoon before he was scheduled to attend a cocktail event. Later that evening, she received a troubling message from him.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed in a statement that the message contained an apology and his expressed intention to end his life.

Reports revealed that Mthethwa had checked into a room on the 22nd floor of the hotel, where a secured window had been forced open. A pair of scissors was discovered at the scene.

Police Investigation and National Reaction

Prosecutor Beccuau stated that preliminary investigations suggest “this could have been a deliberate act, without the intervention of a third party,” while emphasising that all circumstances will be examined.

Mthethwa had served as South Africa’s envoy to France since December 2023, following decades of service in various government roles.

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President Cyril Ramaphosa paid tribute to the late diplomat, calling his passing “untimely” and “a moment of deep grief in which the government and citizens stand beside the Mthethwa family.”

“Ambassador Mthethwa has served our nation in diverse capacities during a lifetime that has ended prematurely and traumatically,” Ramaphosa said.

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