South Africa has dispatched a team of five senior investigators to France to assist in the inquiry into the death of Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa, whose body was discovered last Tuesday in the inner courtyard of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Paris.

The 58-year-old diplomat reportedly fell from the 22nd floor of the hotel.

His wife had alerted authorities the day before after receiving a troubling message from him and French prosecutors later confirmed that Mthethwa had expressed intentions to end his life in a note sent to her.

While initial findings suggest suicide, South African authorities are pursuing a full and transparent investigation, with National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola confirming the deployment of seasoned officers to work alongside French counterparts.

Mthethwa’s death has stirred renewed scrutiny of his controversial political legacy. A longtime ally of former President Jacob Zuma, Mthethwa was implicated in multiple judicial inquiries, including recent testimony before the Madlanga Commission probing political interference in policing.

Just two weeks before his death, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkwananzi accused him of obstructing justice during his tenure as police minister in 2011.

Mthethwa also presided over the 2012 Marikana massacre, one of South Africa’s darkest post-apartheid episodes, where 34 striking miners were killed by police.

The ambassador’s family is awaiting the completion of repatriation formalities to bring his remains back to South Africa. The investigation continues as officials seek clarity on the circumstances surrounding his death.