French Authorities Reveal That Mthethwa’s Phone Was Not at the Nearby Park As Initially Reported

French Authorities Reveal That Mthethwa’s Phone Was Not at the Nearby Park As Initially Reported

  • The authorities in France have confirmed that the former Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa's phone was not found at a nearby park
  • The police initially reported that his phone was found in the region of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, but the latest information contradicts the earlier reports
  • The authorities said the French media reports were incorrect and provided information about his last movement

For seven years, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of Current Affairs, South Africa, covered a range of topics, including accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather, and natural disaster-related incidents, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

French authorities said that French media was incorrect when it reported that the police found Nathi Mthethwa's phone at a park
French authorities did not find Nathi Mthethwa's phone at a park. Images: Anna Kurth/ AFP via Getty Images and Ziyaad Douglas/Gallo Images via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

PARIS, FRANCE — French authorities confirmed that the phone of the late Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa was not at a nearby park as initially reported by French media. Mthethwa was found dead at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Paris on 30 September 2025.

According to Newzroom Afrika, the French prosecuting authority revealed that Mthethwa's phone was not found in the Bois de Boulogne Park. Mthethwa's last movements were reportedly between his official residence and the hotel, where he was found. The authorities also slammed the French media's initial reports.

Read also

RIP Nathi Mthethwa: Ntsiki Mazwai reacts to major update in death investigation

Mthethwa fell from the 22nd floor of the hotel after he went missing. His wife, Philisiwe Buthelezi-Mthethwa, alerted the authorities after she received a worrying message from him. She also said that Mthethwa was supposed to attend a cocktail party he was invited to.

What happened to Mthethwa?

Mthethwa reportedly went missing between 29 and 30 September 2025. He was supposed to attend a cocktail party with his wife, Philisiwe Buthelezi-Mthethwa. However, she received a worrying text message from him.

In it, he reportedly expressed his intention to take his own life. His wife reported him missing to the French authorities, and they mobilised resources to find him. He was later found dead at the hotel after falling from the 22nd floor of the building.

Nathi Mthethwa was the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture
Nathi Mthethwa was the Sports minster. Image: Oupa Bopape/Gallo Images via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

What you need to know about Nathi Mthethwa

Read also

Nathi Mthethwa family could bury former Ambassador on Sunday

Mthethwa's family is expecting to bury him soon

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Mthethwa's family said that they could bury him on 12 October. His family is currently in Paris to repatriate his body.

The family said that it is waiting for the autopsy report to be finalised. It also expressed confidence in the police's deployment to France in helping provide answers about his death.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tebogo Mokwena avatar

Tebogo Mokwena (Current Affairs editor) Tebogo Mokwena is the Deputy Head of the Current Affairs desk and a current affairs writer at Briefly News. With a Diploma in Journalism from ALISON, he has a strong background in digital journalism, having completed training with the Google News Initiative. He began his career as a journalist at Daily Sun, where he worked for four years before becoming a sub-editor and journalist at Capricorn Post. He then joined Vutivi Business News in 2020 before moving to Briefly News in 2023.