The death of South Africa’s Ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, has left the nation stunned — and now, his widow, Phelisiwe Buthelezi-Mthethwa, has broken her silence, revealing heartbreaking final messages from her late husband.
Speaking through Newzroom Afrika’s Simon Marks, Phelisiwe disclosed that shortly before his death, she received text messages from Mthethwa in which he apologised and expressed his intention to take his own life. When he failed to show up for a scheduled cocktail event in Paris on Monday, 29 September, she immediately raised the alarm with French police.
Authorities launched a citywide search that ended in tragedy when it was confirmed that the 58-year-old former Cabinet minister had plunged to his death from the 22nd floor of the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile Hotel.
This week, Phelisiwe said the days following her husband’s passing have been agonising, describing how she has barely slept since the incident. Still, she took a moment to thank South Africans for the overwhelming messages of support that have reached the family in their time of grief.
She is currently being supported in Paris by her brother, Dr Sfiso Buthelezi, former Deputy Minister of Finance, while the family continues to work closely with Dirco to finalise plans to repatriate Mthethwa’s body for a memorial and funeral “worthy of his legacy.”
The Mthethwa and Buthelezi families also issued a joint statement extending gratitude to President Cyril Ramaphosa, Deputy President Paul Mashatile, International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola, and French authorities for their support.
For now, French investigators are still finalising their inquiry, but preliminary findings point to suicide. The family has said they are not contesting the outcome of the professional investigation.
Mthethwa, who once served as Minister of Arts and Culture, had been South Africa’s Ambassador to France since 2023. His sudden passing has left both the diplomatic community and the country in shock.