Bheki Cele criticises public reaction to Nathi Mthethwa's death

ANC leader Bheki Cele has taken the public to task over how it reacted to the death of the former Ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa.

- THAMI MAGUBANE

Cele said the engagements on social media indicate that South Africans are devoid of "humanity and conscience". He was speaking at the memorial service in Durban last week.

Mthethwa died by suicide in France more than a week ago; his body returned to the country last week, and he was laid to rest in Richards Bay on Sunday. Mthethwa's name has been mentioned several times in the Ad Hoc committee investigating the infiltration of police by criminal activity. The KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mthethwa, mentioned Mthethwa in two incidents: one was the alleged interference in a police investigation, and the second was that a perimeter wall at Mthethwa's house was built with money stolen from the police crime intelligence budget.

Cele said the celebration that greeted the death of the ambassador, leads him to conclude that South Africans have become "akin to animals and should face God's wrath". He added that South Africans are now like Sodom and Gomorrah and should have the same fate as those evil cities referenced in the Bible.