Johannesburg - Former crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli wanted back the lobola he paid for Tsidi Buthelezi from love rival Oupa Ramogibe, the Boksburg Magistrate's Court heard on Thursday.
“In 1997, Mdluli came looking for Abel (Ramogibe),” Ramogibe's former girlfriend Lerato Sebalo said in a statement before the court.
“Mdluli told me to tell Abel to leave his wife Tsidi alone, or pay him the R12 000 education fees and lobola he paid for her.”
The court is holding an inquest into Ramogibe's death 13 years ago.
The inquest would determine if criminal charges against Mdluli and his accomplices Samuel Dlomo, Col Nkosana Sebastian Ximba, and Lt-Col Mtunzi-Omhle Mthembeni Mtunzi, should be reinstated. The charges were provisionally withdrawn in February, pending the outcome of the inquest.
The inquest heard that Ramogibe and Sebalo had a daughter together and that despite living with Sebalo, Ramogibe married Buthelezi.
Sebalo said she pleaded with Mdluli to first speak to Ramogibe and his parents before doing anything. After the meeting Ramogibe agreed to leave Buthelezi alone.
The inquest heard that Mdluli went to Sebalo's house on September 2, 1998 and showed her a copy of Buthelezi and Ramogibe's marriage certificate.
“He said he was looking for Abel and wanted to kill him,” the statement read.
The inquest heard that Mdluli returned the next day looking for Ramogibe and gave Sebalo a day-and-a-half to find him.
“Mdluli said if he found him first, he would kill him,” the inquest heard.
Sebalo said despite Mdluli giving Ramogibe until October 1998 to divorce Buthelezi, Ramogibe stayed married to her while living with Sebalo and their daughter.
In December 1998, Ramogibe was involved in a shooting incident by unknown gunmen. He was unharmed but was sure Mdluli was involved, the inquest heard.
She described the days leading up to his shooting in February 1999, when he was asked by Dlomo to go and make another statement regarding the shooting, as the initial docket had “disappeared”.
Initially Ramogibe refused to open the docket but went a few days later, Sebalo said.
“Abel went to open the docket and that was the last time I saw him alive,” the statement read.
“Abel had been shot five times.”
The initial charges against Mdluli and his accomplices were intimidation, kidnapping, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder.
At the time of the crime in 1999, Mdluli was branch commander of the Vosloorus police station.
The inquest continues. - Sapa