Foul play not suspected in Tladi’s death, but many questions remain
A month after hip hop star Tumi Tladi’s demise, questions are being asked regarding the circumstances of his death.
One view is that Tladi took his life by gassing himself, according to a close friend and a policeman close to the investigations. However, his family insist he was not suicidal and suspect foul play.
Tladi, the son of revered music impresario Peter Tladi, was found dead at his posh townhouse in Northriding, north of Joburg on July 10.
The Basadi hitmaker’s cause of death has remained a mystery and talk among hip hop aficionados is that he was knifed to death.
But the speculation was put to rest by two reliable sources – a media personality and a cop – who said the rapper committed suicide at his house.
The personality, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal, alleges that Tladi bought several litres of lithium and consumed it through pipes that he had connected to a 10kg bottle. “You remember he was found dead on a Sunday? But he bought the stuff on a Thursday from the nearest shop and consumed it on Sunday. It looks like he planned this. But what is strange about this is that he did not display any sign of depression before taking his own life.” A cop, who also did not want to be named because he is not allowed to speak to the media, said preliminary investigations revealed that the artist had gassed himself at home. Detectives have already acquired the services of a toxicologist to conduct an investigation and will know by next Friday the exact cause of Tladi’s death.
The artist’s father confirmed the family suspects foul play and had requested police to determine the exact cause of death. “Ja, we are still waiting for an autopsy report and the inquest has not been finalised,” he said when asked if they suspect any foul play. He added that his son did not display any signs of depression before his death.