Mdluli says he was angry, but made no threat to kill ex-lover’s new partner

FINDING out that the mother of his child had been seeing someone else had angered and hurt suspended crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli, but he had not threatened anyone, an inquest heard yesterday.

“I felt hurt, I felt sometimes I’m a useless man,” Mdluli told the court in describing his feelings on finding out that his mistress, Tsidi Buthelezi, was seeing Oupa Ramogibe.

“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 at the inquest into the death of Ramogibe 13 years ago.

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

Mdluli denied the allegations.

“I would be stupid… It’s unnecessary and uncalled for,” he said yesterday.

The inquest heard that Buthelezi had told Mdluli she was going to a party one weekend, and had not come back.

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

One of her friends had told him of her relationship with Ramogibe and he had gone to see Ramogibe’s mother. “My going to Oupa’s mother was not about threats,” he said.

Buthelezi’s friend Alice Monana told the inquest she had been assaulted by police during 1999.

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.”

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Mdluli, Samuel Dlomo, Colonel Nkosana Sebastian Ximba, and Lieutenant-Colonel Mtunzi-Omhle Mthembeni Mtunzi, but was withdrawn provisionally in February pending the outcome of the inquest.

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kidnapping, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder were also withdrawn.

Mdluli said he had been surprised by the initial murder charges.

Earlier, the court heard Mdluli had not been an initial suspect in Ramogibe’s death and that he would not have risen in the police ranks if he had been a suspect.

The inquest continues. – Sapa