Mthethwa was believed to have jumped from the 22nd floor of
the Hyatt Hotel, Le Parisien reports.

According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, the diplomat’s
wife had reported him missing after she “received a worrying message from him”
in the evening.

Mthethwa’s phone had been last contacted around 3 pm on
Monday, near the Bois de Boulogne, in Paris (16th arrondissement).

Mthethwa was assigned to the South African embassy in France
last February. He was also the permanent delegate of South Africa to UNESCO.

The 58-year-old previously held several ministerial
positions, including the sports, arts, and culture ministry; police ministry;
and safety and security ministry.

Mthethwa also chaired the parliamentary committee on mines
and energy between 2004 and 2008.

The Brigade for the Repression of Personal Crime (BRDP) of
the Parisian judicial police says it has begun an investigation.