The South African Police Service have opened an inquest docket to determine the cause of death of former energy minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson.
Joemat-Pettersson died at her Rondebosch home on June 5, 2023.
However, police have rubbished reports that her cause of death was unnatural.
“An inquest docket has been registered and is under investigation. An autopsy report has been finalised and we are awaiting a final report from the Department of Health on the cause of death,” national police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe told IOL.
Inquest dockets are opened to investigate deaths resulting from unnatural causes.
Joemat-Pettersson died earlier this month amid a cloud after reports she was among ANC MPs who allegedly demanded a R600 000 bribe from suspended Public Prosecutor Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s husband, David Skosana, who is also an ANC MP.
Skosana claimed that Joemat-Pettersson allegedly tried to extort R600 000 to make the inquiry into her fitness to hold office "go away“.
Mkwebane last week made public a series of recordings between Skosana and Joemat-Pettersson.
Meanwhile, before joining Parliament in 2009, Joemat-Pettersson served as a MEC in the Northern Cape.
She went on to serve as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries between 2009 and 2014.
She was later appointed Minister of Energy between 2014 and 2017.
This was after the 2014 elections, but she did not complete her term in office. She resigned from the national legislature.
After being axed from Cabinet, she returned to Parliament after the 2019 elections and has served as chairperson of the portfolio committee on police.
Joemat-Pettersson was laid to rest at a private funeral about two weeks ago.
IOL