Ramogibe was last seen with men claiming to be police‚ cousin says

A cousin of Oupa Ramogibe‚ the man who was married to former crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli’s ex lover‚ last saw him when men claiming to be police officers forcefully “pulled him” out of her house.

Mdluli and former policeman Mthembeni Mthunzi are on trial in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg for charges relating to the 1999 kidnapping and murder of Ramogibe‚ who was married to Mdluli’s ex-lover Tshidi Buthelezi.

The men are also accused of intimidation‚ assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm‚ kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice.

Both Mdluli and Mthunzi‚ also known as Siluale‚ have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Charges against Mdluli were withdrawn in 2012‚ but reinstated last year after lobby group Freedom under Law successfully challenged the National Prosecuting Authority’s decision to drop the charges.

Florina Lephage from Orange Farm on Monday told the court that Ramogibe was her uncle’s son. He had regularly visited her house with his siblings. However‚ on the day she last saw him‚ Ramogibe was with a woman he introduced as his girlfriend. She said she was seeing the girlfriend for the first time.

She said Ramogibe and his girlfriend had arrived in the evening.

“They spent a few minutes with us in the lounge and then proceeded to the bedroom.”

Lephage said a few minutes later‚ she heard a knock on her kitchen door.

She said about four men told her that they were policemen and were looking for Ramogibe. The men were dressed in police uniform‚ Lephage said.

“I told them where Oupa was. I pointed to the room they [Ramogibe and the girlfriend] were in.”

Lephage said the men went to the room. They pushed the door open‚ but Ramogibe also pushed it back‚ trying to prevent them from entering.

“The men successfully pushed the door open and they pulled Oupa out. He resisted‚ but they pulled him out of the house.”

Lephage‚ who said she was terrified‚ told the court that she only looked through the window to see where the men were taking Ramogibe.

“I only saw two cars outside my property driving off. I could not see what else was happening because it was dark‚” she said.

The trial continues.