South Africa is sending a team of top investigators to Paris to assist in the probe into the death of Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa.
The 58-year-old diplomat’s body was found in the inner courtyard of the Hyatt Regency hotel on Tuesday morning after falling from the 22nd floor.
National police commissioner, Fannie Masemola, said five seasoned police officers would work with French investigators to ensure a “thorough and transparent inquest.”
Mthethwa was reported missing by his wife on Monday after she received “a worrying message” from him. A French prosecutor told local media that in the note to her, “he apologised and expressed his intention to end his life.”
While some concerns have been raised about possible foul play, initial findings suggest his death may have been a deliberate act.
Mthethwa’s long career in public service was marked by both senior appointments and controversy. A close ally of former President Jacob Zuma, who faces prosecution on corruption charges, he was implicated in wrongdoing by several judicial commissions.
As police minister, Mthethwa presided over one of South Africa’s darkest democratic moments — the 2012 Marikana massacre — in which 34 striking miners were killed by police.
Just two weeks before his death, he was implicated in explosive testimony before the Madlanga Commission, which is probing political interference in policing. KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkwananzi accused him of obstructing justice during his tenure as police minister in 2011.
The commission has not confirmed whether it had planned to call Mthethwa as a witness.
Mthethwa’s family is still awaiting the completion of official procedures before his remains can be repatriated from France.
