Alex cop guided by his faith to nab Mbopha killer

Detective Sergeant Nathi Njabulo Dlamini has attributed his unwavering spiritual believes coupled with his meticulous attention to detail as the key ingredients that guided him to crack the complex case of the killer of Alex businessman Mbopha Mashigo.

Mbopha (54), popularly known by his first name in the township’s business and social circles, was gunned down at close range at his 3rd Avenue and Rev Sam Buti Street eatery while attending to messages on his cellphone on New Year’s Eve in 2017.

His killer, Jonas ‘Vido’ Ramokgola (then 36), was convicted of murder and possession of a firearm and ammunition, and was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, 10 years for possession of a firearm and six months for the possession of ammunition. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently.

Speaking in an interview with Alex News, Dlamini (36) described when ‘all turned dark and gloomy with no way forward’ during the investigation, he would kneel down and pray for guidance from the Almighty or speak to his spiritual father Pastor Alf Lekau of Hallelujah Ministries International in Sandton to seek divine intervention.

When Dlamini was called to the scene of the murder, the first thing he asked for was a download of the CCTV footage in which the suspect was seen walking into the eatery and buying some cider (Hunter’s Extreme) and then leaving. Ramokgola returned to buy more drinks and then chatted to the bartender wanting to know what time they started the fireworks as he probably wanted to use the cover of fireworks to shoot Mbopha.

The bartender, a Zimbabwean immigrant known only as Shepard, was the only eyewitness who saw Ramokgola before the murder. When Ramokgola came into the shop for the third time, Shepard went into the back of the shop, leaving only the killer and Mbopha.

Dlamini said Ramokgola could be seen on the footage going straight to Mbopha who was looking down at his cellphone and shot him once in the head and then ran off, firing some more shots as he made his getaway. Dlamini only had Shepard and the video footage to use as evidence to nail the accused.

When Shepard got cold feet and went back to Zimbabwe, Dlamini knew his case had fallen flat and he needed to find another way to nail the suspect. “I watched the video over and over and realised there was a [second] man who walked into the shop.

“The man was accompanied by three ladies and he greeted the suspect and shook hands before he swiped a bank card to pay for his liquor… [I] tracked him down to Ext 7 and his mother gave me his new address in old Alex.”

When questioned, the man admitted he knew Ramokgola and said he was his mechanic who often fixed his car and pointed out where he lived. Dlamini put 24-hour surveillance on the house and was told of an Avanza that picked up Ramokgola early in the morning and dropped him off late in the evening.

One late evening, Dlamini and his officers decided to pay Ramokgola a visit. “When he answered the knock and realised we were cops, he started singing that he had read in the media that he was a suspect for the killing of a businessman and that he looked like the suspect etc.”

Dlamini asked him what he did for a living and where he was on the day of the shooting and what he was doing. Ramokgola replied he was a mechanic and was alone in his house drinking beer on the day of the shooting. When asked what type of beer Ramokgola drank, he said Hunter’s Extreme.

“After this I knew I had gotten my man.” Dlamini said he obtained Ramokgola’s cellphone records and on the day of the shooting it showed he was near Carter Primary School, which is a stone’s throw from Mbopha’s shop. “From then on, I knew I had a solid case against him, with or without Shepard.”

When the case was heard in the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court, Dlamini said prosecutors and his own police friends said he had arrested the wrong guy and that he did not have sufficient evidence to warrant a conviction.

The case was transferred to the South Gauteng High Court and again he was told that he did not have a case against the accused. He managed to get granted an order to take the case back to the Alex Regional Court for trial.

“All this time, I never parted with the [case] docket… until the final verdict. I never wanted to take any chances as it [docket] would disappear and no one takes responsibility.”

In January this year, the KwaMajozi-born Dlamini who now lives in Newcastle, was promoted to the Gauteng Provincial Head Office and now works as a member of the Organised Crime and Taxi Violence Unit.