Inquest witness ‘had axe to grind’

JOHANNES Manyathela had an axe to grind. After witnessing his colleague at the Vosloorus police station, suspended crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli, elevated to senior positions within the police force, Manyathela developed a “grudge”.

“Mdluli didn’t help you with a promotion and he was going up and up and you had a grudge,” Ike Motloung told Manyathela who stood in the witness box in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court.

Yesterdaywas Manyathela’s second day under cross-examination at the inquest into Oupa Ramogibe’s death in February 1999.

Ramogibe had been in a relationship with Mdluli’s former lover, Tshidi Buthelezi. The court heard two weeks ago from Ramogibe’s family that Mdluli had made threats on his life, and that he went as far as to say that if they did not stop him from continuing the affair they would “mourn him”.

Manyathela testified yesterday that a day after Ramogibe’s murder (on February 17, 1999), Ramogibe’s family approached him at the police station to lay a complaint that Mdluli had been making threats on his life.

Manyathela did not take down any formal statement but directed the family to the area commissioner.

“When the Ramogibe family spoke to you, it seemed you believed everything. You believed he (Mdluli) was a criminal,” Motloung said.

He answered: “I believed what they were saying was the truth.”

“So you didn’t think Mdluli was a criminal… a murderer?” Motloung continued.

Manyathela replied: “I believed what they told me was the truth and put my hopes that an investigation would reveal the truth.”

At that time, Manyathela was a station commander at the Vosloorus police station and Mdluli a superintendent.

Manyathela vehemently denied ever bearing a grudge against Mdluli. But Motloung said that when Manyathela found out police were looking for Mdluli, he thought it was his opportunity to “get even”.

“That is not so,” Manyathela replied calmly.

Motloung said Manyathela’s failure to make a statement after the family came to him with the complaint should have resulted in his being charged with negligence and defeating the ends of justice.

“Why did you believe Mdluli could have killed Oupa?” Motloung asked.

Manyathela answered: “I believe them because there’s no person who would make such an unfounded allegation.”

Criminal charges against Mdluli and his alleged accomplices Samuel Dlomo, Sebastian Ximba, and Mtunzi-Omhle Mtunzi were provisionally withdrawn in February this year, pending the outcome of the inquest.

The inquest continues.