The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal has stated that the Police Ministry will be required to appear before the Madlanga Commission to address claims made against the late Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa.
Mthethwa, who previously served as Minister of Police and Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, was found dead at the Hyatt Hotel in Porte Maillot, Paris, two weeks ago after going missing for a day. He is believed to have died after falling from the 22nd floor of the hotel in what authorities described as tragic circumstances.
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The former minister was expected to be granted a right of reply following testimony by KwaZulu-Natal provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who made serious allegations regarding Mthethwa’s conduct during his time as Police Minister.
Claims of Interference in Police Work Surface
Mkhwanazi told the commission that during his tenure as acting National Police Commissioner in 2011, Mthethwa allegedly tried to prevent the prosecution of former Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Richard Mdluli.
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Mdluli, along with former SAPS Supply Chain Manager Heine Barnard and Chief Financial Officer Solomon Lazarus, is currently facing charges of corruption, fraud and theft related to the police’s secret slush fund from 2008 to 2012. The trio pleaded not guilty when their corruption trial began in the Pretoria High Court in May.
According to Mkhwanazi, Mthethwa had also instructed him to halt disciplinary action against Mdluli — an order he described as “the worst interference” he had ever experienced in his policing career.
ANC provincial spokesperson Fanle Sibisi said the Police Ministry would be responsible for responding to these allegations, as they were directed at Mthethwa in his ministerial role and not as a member of the ANC.
“It will be either someone currently in the Police Ministry or someone senior who worked with him during his tenure, but the allegations against him will be responded to,” Sibisi said.
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Tributes Pour In for the Late Ambassador
Speaking at Mthethwa’s funeral in KwaMbonambi on Sunday, Sibisi acknowledged that it was not the ideal time to discuss the allegations while the family was mourning, but maintained that the matter would be addressed appropriately.
Mthethwa, 58, was laid to rest in his hometown of KwaMbonambi, outside Richards Bay, after being accorded a Category 2 state funeral.
President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the eulogy, describing Mthethwa as “one of the bravest and most principled” members of the ANC. He recalled Mthethwa’s early activism during the struggle against apartheid, noting his involvement in Operation Vula — the ANC’s underground campaign to dismantle the apartheid regime.
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“From the earliest days of his activism, Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa refused to accept the injustice of apartheid,” Ramaphosa said. “Faced with laws that sought to divide, demean and destroy, he responded not with resignation, but with resolve.”
Ramaphosa added: “For him, living a life of activism was not just about protest – it was about purpose. It was about committing yourself to something larger than personal comfort: justice, equality, dignity, freedom.”
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