Paris, Oct. 2 -- French prosecutors are piecing together clues over the death of South Africa's ambassador to France, Nkosinathi Emmanuel "Nathi" Mthethwa.

Early findings, authorities said, suggest Mthethwa had apparently fallen from a high-rise Paris hotel on Monday, hours after sending a "disturbing message" to his wife that he planned to kill himself, reports CNN.

Mthethwa, 58, began serving as South Africa's envoy to France in December 2023 - his latest role in a series of high-profile portfolios that included stints as police minister, as well as the minister of sports, arts and culture.

As a young man, Mthethwa campaigned against apartheid, a racist policy that kept Blacks and Whites apart, and grew through the ranks of the African...