I felt useless, says Mdluli

2012-09-19 17:25

Richard Mdluli. (Beeld)

Johannesburg - Finding out the mother of his child was seeing someone else had angered and hurt suspended crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli, but he did not threaten anyone, an inquest heard on Tuesday.

"I felt hurt, I felt sometimes I'm a useless man," Mdluli told the court of his feelings on discovering that his mistress Tsidi Buthelezi was seeing Oupa Ramogibe.

"Any man would feel useless if your woman finds another man... I was angry. Any reasonable man or person would be angry if your partner goes [and] finds another partner."

Mdluli was testifying in the Boksburg Magistrate's Court inquest into the death, 13-years ago, of Ramogibe.

Ramogibe's mother and sister had testified that Mdluli threatened to kill Ramogibe if he did not leave Buthelezi alone.

Denial

However, on Tuesday Mdluli denied the allegations.

"I would be stupid... It's unnecessary and uncalled for," he said.

He said he did not even know that Ramogibe had sisters until his love rival's mother pointed this out.

The inquest heard that Buthelezi told Mdluli she was going to a party one weekend and never came back.

Mdluli said that when their son kept asking for his mother, he decided to go looking for her.

He said one of her friends told him of her relationship with Ramogibe and he then went to Ramogibe's mother.

"My going to Oupa's mother was not about threats," he said.

Assault

Buthelezi's friend, Alice Monana, told the inquest she was assaulted by police. She said she was intimidated, ill-treated, and assaulted by police in 1999.

However, Mdluli denied this saying he would never assault anyone.

"I never assaulted Alice, or anyone for that fact, and I never will," he said.

"When I was trained as a police officer, I was not trained to victimise. I was trained to serve and protect. I never lifted my hands to anyone and never will."

Mdluli was accused of the murder with Samuel Dlomo, Colonel Nkosana Sebastian Ximba, and Lieutenant Colonel Mtunzi-Omhle Mthembeni Mtunzi, but the charge was provisionally withdrawn in February pending the outcome of the inquest.

Also withdrawn were charges of intimidation, kidnapping, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder.

Mdluli said he was surprised by the initial murder charges and thought multiple charges were brought against him so "they can charge me with anything".

Earlier, the court heard that Mdluli was never an initial suspect in Ramogibe's death and that he would not have climbed in the police ranks if he had been a suspect.

The inquest continues.

- SAPA