By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider
The former Minister of Police and South Africa’s Ambassador to France Nathi Mthethwa, 58, was found dead outside of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Paris on Tuesday.
The relevant authorities are still investigating the death surrounding the late ambassador, who had booked a room on the 22nd floor of the hotel. Mthethwa was assigned to Paris in December 2023.
Mthethwa had also been implicated in several commissions including the current Madlanga commission as he was placed by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner Nlhanhla Mkhwanazi.
When Mthethwa was still Minister of Police under Jacob Zuma’s cabinet, Mkhwanazi had been forced to reinstate former head of the Crime Intelligence (CI) Richard Mdluli.
Mdluli used funds from the CI for his own personal use between 2008 and 2012 alongside Mthethwa using the CI secret service slush fund. These instances were made public in 2018’s Zondo Commission and 2019 Mokgoro Commission.
Mthethwa was also expected to be called on as witness to testify in the Nkabinde inquiry against Andrew Chauke, the suspended Gauteng Director of Public Prosecutors.
Chauke is being reviewed on whether he is fit to hold his position as Gauteng Director of Public Prosecutors in the inquiry as he initiated racketeering charges against former head of the KwaZulu-Natal Hawks Johan Booysen.
“Minister Mthethwa himself was responsible for the controversial appointment of Mdluli as head of CI” said Booysen as stated in his affidavit during the Zondo Commission.
Mthethwa had also allegedly called Mkhwanazi alongside former Inspector General of Intelligence Faith Radebe to his home in Pretoria, in order to instruct them to not pursue the case against Mdluli.
Dhanajaya Naidoo who serves as Crime Intelligence Officer had testified during the Zondo Commission stating that Mthethwa had purchased a Mercedes Benz using Crime Intelligence’s secret service funds in 2019.
Naidoo further testified that Mthethwa only used the vehicle for only a few months after being paranoid over journalists potentially following him around, where it was later used by Mdluli in Cape Town.
The secret service funds were also used by Mthethwa to erect a wall at his residence in KwaZulu-Natal as R200,000 was used to fund this renovation to his home.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) had announced that the French Authorities are still investigating Mthethwa’s death and refrained from giving any further details in the matter.