The plane carrying the body of South Africa’s ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, is expected to arrive in the country on Friday.

Mthethwa’s body was found in a Paris hotel’s inner courtyard more than a week ago. He was 58.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has accorded Mthethwa a special official funeral, which will take place in KwaMbonambi, KwaZulu-Natal, on Sunday.

Meanwhile, former Police Minister Bheki Cele has described the circumstances surrounding Mthethwa’s death as suspicious.

Cele was speaking at Mthethwa’s memorial service in Pinetown on Thursday.

“Don’t believe what they are saying about Nathi and what they say happened. Another problem is that this is my area of expertise. They are saying a lot of things at the same time, that you can’t follow. That’s where the problem starts. You can’t conclude that a person killed themselves within just 12 hours. At the same time, we are being told his cellphone was found metres away from him. These are my views.”