Dewani 'to be extradited on 7 April'

23 March 2014 Last updated at 16:47

Shrien Dewani 'to be extradited to South Africa on 7 April'

Shrien Dewani's lawyers say his medical condition may have become "untreatable"

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A man accused of arranging the murder of his wife on their honeymoon in South Africa will be extradited on 7 April, the government there has said.

Shrien Dewani, 33, from Bristol, is expected to leave London and arrive in Cape Town on 8 April.

He has been fighting a return to South Africa to face the charges, which he denies, over the death of his wife Anni in November 2010.

The extradition date was confirmed by South Africa's Department for Justice.

Mr Dewani lost his latest appeal against extradition at the start of March.

Following this a 28-day period during which he must be extradited was triggered - which is due to end on 14 April.

Fight to the end

His legal team had wanted the appeal to be heard in the highest court in the land - the Supreme Court - but this was refused by a panel of judges.

The team still has the option of an appeal at the European Court of Human Rights.

Anni Dewani's uncle Ashok Hindocha said the family had waited a long time for answers.

"We thought at the beginning that this is going to be a very quick case where Shrien would fly down to South Africa and stand trial and answer all the questions that is going to be given to him," he said.

"We waited three and a half years. I hope we don't have to wait another three and a half but if so, we will wait, we will fight to the very end."

Shrien and Anni Dewani were on honeymoon in Cape Town in November 2010 when she was killed

The businessman is being compulsorily detained under the Mental Health Act after being diagnosed as suffering from severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

In January, the High Court ruled it would not be "unjust and oppressive" to extradite Mr Dewani providing that assurances were received from South Africa about the length of time he would be kept in the country without trial.

Those assurances have been given.

Prosecutors in South Africa allege Mr Dewani ordered the killing of his 28-year-old wife, who was a Swedish national.

The charge dates back to November 2010 when the pair were held at gunpoint while driving through Gugulethu, a township near Cape Town, in a taxi.

Mr Dewani escaped unharmed but his wife's body was found the following day.

Three men have been convicted over Mrs Dewani's death.

South African Xolile Mngeni was convicted of premeditated murder for shooting her and jailed for life. Prosecutors claimed he was hired to carry out the killing.

The couple's taxi driver Zola Tongo was jailed for 18 years after he admitted his part in the killing and another accomplice, Mziwamadoda Qwabe, also pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.