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French police have confirmed the death of South African Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa was no foul play and that he had deliberately taken his own life.

Aged 58, the former Minister of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation and later Police Minister, is said to have committed suicide by jumping from the 27 floor of the luxurious Hyatt Regency Hotel in Paris, the capital of the French Republic, on September 30.

Nkosinathi Emmanuel Mthethwa, popularly known in his native South Africa as Nathi, which is a short form for his first name, is said to have booked into the hotel a little before his death on September 30 and requested a room on the 27th floor.

Mthethwa is said to have lft home without informing anyone, including his wife, who later reported him as missing and a search was launched. The wife later received a message from him in which he allegedly talked about his unhappiness on a number of issues and that he was in trouble but never specified and that he was thinking of taking his own life.

He never again contacted the family and the French police started a panic search for the ambassador and his body was later discovered in a ground passage-like lobby behind the hotel.

News of Mthethwa’s death came shortly after his name came up in the Justice Madlanga Commission which is currently probing the involvement of senior government ministers and South African Police Service officials, who are accused of conniving criminal cartels and interfering in police investigations.

Mthethwa was named by KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner Lt. General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who has since testified that Mthethwa had colluded with a former police official Richard Mdluli to have a murder case that being investigated against a tenderpreneur known as Katiso ‘KT’ Molefe to be quashed.

Mthethwa’s name has been mentioned in various state commissions, whose outcomes have never been acted upon by the government. In a note to his wife, Philisiwe, Mthethwa said “I am sorry, I love you so much and I will never be far away from you”. Upon receipt of this message, Philisiwe suspected that he was suicidal and immediately called the French police who followed numerous leads and ultimately found his body on the ground of the Hyatt Regency Hotel where he had booked and specifically requested a room on the 27th floor.

Inside the room, police found a scissor which was suspected to have been used to open the window further than what it opens normally, which is a space that no human can jump from. Though the investigations are still ongoing, police said there were no signs of a struggle inside the room which could point to someone having forced the Ambassador off the window.

Although the real cause of Mthethwa’s death is still the subject of a police investigation, speculations are rife in South Africa, including social media platforms such as TikTok, Yutube and others that he had taken his own life to avoid testifying in the Justice Madlanga Commission, that is currently hearing testimonies at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria.

Meanwhile, Premier Soccer League has said it’s ‘deeply saddened’ by the passing of South Africa’s Ambassador to France and former Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa. The league said in a statement that it extends its heartfelt condolences to the Mthethwa family during this difficult time.

As a mark of respect, the statement said a moment of silence will be observed in his honour at this week’s Betway Premiership, Carling Knockout, Motsepe Foundation Championship, and DStv Diski Challenge fixtures.