The body of South Africa’s Ambassador to France Nathi Mthethwa has been repatriated from Paris to his home country, state media SABC reports.
The plane carrying the body landed at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Friday morning. His family accompanied the body.
Mthethwa, 58, was found dead in the inner courtyard of a Paris hotel more than a week ago. His death has shocked both South Africa and the international community.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, on Wednesday, October 8, announced that Mthethwa will get a "Special Official Funeral Category 2", which will be held on Sunday, October 12, in KwaMbonambi, KwaZulu-Natal.
Ramaphosa, who had described the death as ‘traumatic’’ has directed that the National Flag be flown at half-mast from Thursday, 9 October 2025, until the evening of the funeral on Sunday, 12 October.
According to preliminary reports, Mthethwa’s death followed an incident in which he allegedly fell from the 22nd floor of a hotel in Paris on September 30.
Questions are being raised about the circumstances of his death with all eye on French authorities to provide answers.
Ongoing investigations
A team of five investigators from the South African Police Service (SAPS) has been dispatched to France to assist in uncovering the circumstances surrounding Mthethwa’s death.
The officers, experienced in handling such cases, will collaborate with French law enforcement to ensure a comprehensive and transparent investigation.
"The deployed team will work closely with French law enforcement authorities to ensure that the circumstances surrounding Ambassador Mthethwa’s death are thoroughly and transparently investigated," the South African police said in a statement.
Mthethwa had been serving as South Africa’s ambassador to France since December 2023, following an extensive political career that spanned several cabinet positions between 2008 and 2023.
