An inquest docket has been opened into the death of controversial Mpumalanga politician James Nkambule, Mpumalanga police confirmed on Monday.
“We’ve taken some body tissue and we’ve sent it to forensics for further investigation and determination of the cause of death, spokesperson Captain Leonard Hlathi said.
“We can’t say he was poisoned; I can only confirm that when we get the results from the forensics team.”
The Sunday Times reported that Nkambule, who died suddenly last week, was poisoned.
He collapsed at his home in Mjindini last Thursday.
The autopsy, conducted by Mpumalanga chief medical officer Dr Gantcho Gantchev, concluded Nkambule’s death was “unnatural”, the newspaper reported.
In the post-mortem report, Gantchev described “white foamy material” found in Nkambule’s throat and windpipe, and about 30ml of brownish fluid “suggestive of … poison ingestion” in his stomach.
Nkambule, a former ANC Youth League member, famously once alleged that there was a plot to oust former president Thabo Mbeki.
At the time it was alleged that Mpumalanga premier and current ANC treasurer Mathews Phosa, current Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale and former ANC secretary general Cyril Ramaphosa were behind the plot.
The supposed plot was later dismissed by a police and intelligence services investigation.
Watchful eye
At the time of his death, Nkambule was facing charges of defeating the ends of justice, conspiracy to commit a crime, incitement and fraud.
He was out on R8 000 bail and the case was in connection with the alleged existence of a hit list containing the names of a number of people in Mpumalanga.
Meanwhile, the Congress of the People (Cope) on Sunday called on the police to investigate the death of Nkambule thoroughly.
“Cope calls on the police to investigate this death properly and to deploy all the necessary resources to ascertain whether his death was in fact a murder,” said spokesperson Philip Dexter in a statement.
He said Cope would keep a watchful eye on the investigation to ensure that there was no cover-up.
“For far too long, Mpumalanga has been the home and base to gangsters, thieves and alleged murderers masquerading as politicians. These must be exposed and dealt with harshly in terms of the law.” — Sapa