Ramogibe was “a nobody taxi driver” and his affair with the mother of Mdluli’s child was “embarrassing and humiliating”, said the suspended crime intelligence boss at the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
He arrived at court in style in a fashionable pale green suit and was trailed by seven bodyguards.
He refused comment outside of the inquest.
During his testimony, Mdluli told the court he was shocked when he discovered Tshidi Buthelezi, the mother of his child, was cheating on him with a taxi driver “who spun cars” for fun.
“I’m very intellectual … and I’m very proud of that,” Mdluli said.
Despite being angry when Buthelezi’s brother Sibusiso broke the news of the affair to him, Mdluli wanted to find Buthelezi as their then seven-year-old child was pining for her.
Tracked down
Mdluli said Sibusiso offered to take him to the Ramogibe home but when they got there, neither Buthelezi nor Ramogibe were there.
He eventually tracked Buthelezi down in Orange Farm with the help of her best friend, Alice Manana.
He broke up with her shortly thereafter and played no role in Ramogibe’s death, said Mdluli. He also refuted the Ramogibe’s claims he had threatened them and the deceased and had beaten up Manana.
“She’s lying. I don’t beat people. My job is to serve and protect, so how could I do something like that?” said Mdluli.
It later emerged Buthelezi had opened a case of assault against Mdluli in 1997.
Objections
Mdluli said the resuscitation of the murder case was a clear plot to taint his reputation by forces unhappy over his appointment as head of crime intelligence.
He told the court he was surprised when he was also charged with assault, kidnapping and intimidation, and he said it was clear those plotting against him were hoping he would go down on the other charges if he got off on the one of murder.
Mdluli added he had made enemies in his job by “objecting on a lot of things”, which is also partly why he became a target.
He said he had a stellar employment history and if he was suspected of criminal activities, he would have never been promoted as compulsory background checks would have picked something up.
He admitted that Colonel Nkosana Ximba and Lieutenant Colonel Mtunzi-Omhle Mtunzi started working for crime intelligence after he took over the reins but the posts they got were advertised and he was not involved in the interview process.
Ximba and Mtunzi, along with Warrant Officer Samuel Dlomo, are Mdluli’s former co-accused in the murder of Ramogibe.
The inquest will determine whether any of them should be held liable for Ramogibe’s death.
This story was first published by the Mail & Guardian Online on September 19 2012.
* Got a tip-off for us about this story? Email [email protected]
The M&G Centre for Investigative Journalism, a non-profit initiative to develop investigative journalism in the public interest, produced this story. All views are ours. See www.amabhungane.co.za for all our stories, activities and sources of funding.
