Paris Prosecutor Reveals Final Message from Nathi Mthethwa Before Death at Hyatt Hotel

South Africans woke up to heartbreaking news from Paris this week: Nathi Mthethwa, South Africa’s ambassador to France and a familiar face in national politics, has died in what authorities believe was a suicide.

The 58-year-old former cabinet minister was found in the interior courtyard of the luxury Hyatt hotel where he had checked in just a day earlier. According to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, the secured window of his 22nd-floor room had been forcibly opened using a pair of scissors found at the scene.

But it was her next revelation that stopped many in their tracks.

“He Apologised and Said He Intended to End His Life”

The prosecutor confirmed that Mthethwa’s wife had seen him one last time on Monday afternoon before he was due to attend a cocktail event. Later that evening, she received a message from him, apologising and expressing his intention to take his own life.

Investigators say there is no indication of foul play, though the case remains open as French authorities work to piece together his final hours.

A Nation in Shock and Asking Questions

President Cyril Ramaphosa called the news “untimely” and “traumatic”, praising Mthethwa’s decades of public service, which spanned from underground ANC activism during apartheid to leading major ministries in the democratic era.

But beyond official tributes, social media has been flooded with conflicting emotions:

• Shock, as many South Africans struggle to reconcile the image of a powerful political figure with the private despair suggested by his final message.

• Sympathy, particularly for his family, who received such a devastating farewell.

• Skepticism, as some online users wary of past political scandals and factional battles questioned whether the full story will ever truly be known.

Who Was Nathi Mthethwa?

To younger South Africans, Mthethwa may be remembered most recently as the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture,  a post he held until 2023. To others, he was the long-time police minister during some of the country’s most turbulent years.

But his political journey started long before government suits and diplomatic titles.

• He joined the ANC underground during apartheid and was arrested during the 1989 state of emergency.

• He later rose into party leadership, serving in senior ANC positions between 2007 and 2022.

• He sat on the organising board of the 2010 FIFA World Cup one of South Africa’s proudest sporting moments.

• In 2023, he was appointed ambassador to France marking what many assumed would be a quieter, dignified chapter of his career.

A Private Struggle Behind Public Power

If his death is officially confirmed to be suicide, Mthethwa will join a growing list of high-ranking global political figures who succumbed not to scandal or political opposition, but to silent inner battles.

His passing has sparked a wider conversation about mental health in leadership, particularly among high-pressure public figures who are expected to always “keep it together.”

Even those critical of his political legacy have paused to acknowledge a more universal truth: no title, salary, or diplomatic post can shield anyone from emotional pain.

Beyond the headlines, statistics, and political obituaries, this story is a deeply human one about a man who felt compelled to apologise before stepping into the unknown.

As investigations continue in Paris, South Africa finds itself not just mourning a public servant, but reflecting on the cost of silence in moments of personal crisis.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out. Help is available.

{Source: The Citizen}

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