Johannesburg - The Hawks suggested that the death of a love rival of suspended crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli be followed up, an inquest heard on Tuesday.
“Members of the Hawks visited our house,” Oupa Ramogibe's sister Justina told the Boksburg Magistrate's Court's inquest into his death.
“We also wanted something to happen about Oupa's killers,” she said.
Asked by Ike Motloung, for Mdluli, her why the family waited for more than 10 years to pursue the case, Justina said they were scared.
“There was no police station we could go to, because we don't trust the police,” she said.
“Yes, they (the Hawks) did come to our house and it was time to open the matter. They made us trust them.”
The court heard that Justina did not make a statement about her brother's death until January 20, 2011, even though he died in 1999.
She told the court that Mdluli had visited the family and threatened to kill Oupa if he continued to see Mdluli's former mistress Tsidi Buthelezi.
The inquest heard that Mdluli went looking for Oupa at the home of his mother Sophia, and told her to tell her son to stop seeing Buthelezi.
“Oupa and Tsidi were on the run so they (Mdluli and Sophia) went looking for them,” Justina said.
Asked by Motloung why no one went with Sophia and Mdluli, Justina said: “We were scared for her safety, but we just didn't.... Or maybe he found her alone at home.”
Motloung argued it was because Sophia was never in danger.
Justina responded: “We were scared. I think the reason we didn't act at the time - we were scared.”
Motloung also asked Justina why the family did not approach the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD), now the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, to investigate the police.
“I went to the ICD offices in Pretoria to open a case, but then I was raped and stopped,” she said.
Earlier, the inquest heard that she was raped a month after Oupa's death.
Asked about this by Motloung, she said: “I knew it was the police because they were travelling in a police vehicle.”
Motloung questioned her about two separate statements on the rape.
She said one was hers and the other was not, claiming that the signature on the second statement had been forged.
Mdluli had been accused of the murder with Samuel Dlomo, Colonel Nkosana Sebastian Ximba, and Lt-Col Mtunzi-Omhle Mthembeni Mtunzi, but the charge was provisionally withdrawn in February, pending the outcome of the inquest.
Also withdrawn were charges of intimidation, kidnapping, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder.
The inquest continues. - Sapa