South African ambassador had faced corruption claims before he was found dead at foot of Paris hotel

Nkosinathi Emmanuel “Nathi” Mthethwa in Johannesburg in 2017. Mujahid Safodien/AFP/Getty Images

French prosecutors are piecing together clues over the death of South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Emmanuel “Nathi” Mthethwa .

Early findings, authorities said, suggest Mthethwa had apparently fallen from a high-rise Paris hotel on Monday, hours after sending a “disturbing message” to his wife that he planned to kill himself.

Who was Mthethwa?

Mthethwa, 58, began serving as South Africa’s envoy to France in December 2023 – his latest role in a series of high-profile portfolios that included stints as police minister, as well as the minister of sports, arts and culture.

As a young man, Mthethwa campaigned against apartheid, a racist policy that kept Blacks and Whites apart,