Doris vs Goddard: Testimonies of sex, money and deceit

Evidence given by the estranged husband of the infamous Doris Mthembi revealed a world of apparent sex, sleaze and money.

Doris Mthembi, well known for her constant court antics, appeared in the Louis Trichardt Regional Court this week, where the perjury case against her continued. The case relates to an incident in September 2010 when she tried to open a case of rape against her estranged husband, Goddard Tendani Mugwena. Mthembi claimed that her ex-husband had kidnapped her at gunpoint at Nkowa Nkowa, drover with her to Makhado and raped her in a guest house.

“She asked to have sex with me,” testified Mugwena.

In frank terms, Mugwena gave the court his account of what happened on the evening that Mthembi claimed that he had kidnapped, brutally assaulted and raped her. “She told me that she had always enjoyed sex with me, and that she didn’t enjoy sleeping with Ragwala since he had had a penis enlargement,” said Mugwena.

The 38-year-old Joe Ragwala, a well-known TV star, is Mthembi’s live-in lover. She eloped with Ragwala in 2009.  That same year, the lovers were arrested together with Vincent Phakula (28) and Moses Ntlenana (24), two hitmen whom Mthembi had allegedly hired to kill Mugwena. All four were released on bail of R5 000 each. 

Regarding the day that Mthembi claimed she had been raped, Mugwena told the court that she had requested him to come pick her up. They then booked into a guest house in Makhado, whereafter they went to Bridge Motors, because “Doris wanted to buy airtime for her cell phone.”

After they had slept together, said Mugwena, Mthembi asked him to give back the BMW that he had bought her and to drop all the charges against her.  Mthembi was referring to charges made when she and Ragwala were arrested in February last year for theft and fraud.  Property belonging to Mugwena was allegedly recovered in their home during a police raid.

When Mugwena refused to adhere to Mthembi’s requests, she slapped him in the face. Mugwena had to push her away with “all his strength” because she had also grabbed his private parts.  “After that, I stopped loving her – we never had a jol again,” said Mugwena.

After this, said Mugwena, he drove Mthembi to the Makhado police station where Mthembi laid a charge of rape against him.

Mthembi’s lawyer accused Mugwena of lying and said that she would come and testify that she had been kidnapped at gunpoint by him and locked up in the room at the guest house.

After Mugwena had finished testifying, the owner of the guest house where they had spent the night testified that Mthembi was never locked up in the room and that she left with Mugwena to go to the shops. Mthembi even asked him for a plug to charge her phone.

The petrol attendant from Bridge Motors also testified that he remembered that Mthembi had withdrawn money from the ATM while Mugwena had bought petrol for his vehicle. “She even waited in the queue in front of the ATM,” he testified. 

Time ran out, however, for any other witnesses to testify, and Mthembi’s case had to be postponed. She will appear in court again on 17, 18 and 19 September.

News - Date: 13 July 2012

Isabel Venter

Isabel joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in 2009 as a reporter. She holds a BA Degree in Communication Sciences from the University of South Africa. Her beat is mainly crime and court reporting.

Email: [email protected]