Police team in Paris to probe ambassador's death

A preliminary probe by the French authorities into last week’s death of Soth African ambassador Nathi Mthethwa in Paris has revealed no-one other than him went into his room either before or after he checked in. An initial investigation pointed to suicide. In an unprecedented move, the police said it would send five investigators to France to help with the probe into his death. Mthethwa’s brother-in-law, Sfiso Buthelezi, told the Sunday Times that the family would await the autopsy report, expected today, before accepting the possibility he may have committed suicide. French authorities have informed Pretoria they will not release his body for repatriation until they have ascertained the cause of death. CCTV footage analysed by the police shows he checked in to the hotel on 29 September. ‘Another thing they told us is that they’ve been to the hotel and looked at the cameras; they wanted to check whether somebody might have gone into that room either before or after the ambassador. So if it was before, someone might have been waiting to do something bad to him, or after,’ said Buthelezi.

National police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe could not say what exactly the deployed officers would investigate or when they would return to the country. ‘They are yet to be briefed by French authorities,’ she said. The Sunday Tribune reports during his testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, provicnial Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said that as Police Minister in 2011, Mthethwa had tried to block him from proceeding with criminal charges and disciplinary action against Crime Intelligence boss Richard Mdluli. Mthethwa was reportedly also among many politicians earmarked to appear before the parliamentary committee looking into police capture claims. However, Parliament’s communication officer, Rajaa Azzakani, said the list of witnesses had not been officially confirmed. ‘The committee decided to first hear the evidence of General Mkhwanazi and then decide who to call as additional witnesses,’ said Azzakani.

Full Sunday Tribune report

Full Sunday Times report