Statement Analysis

Clifton Coetzee Friday 11 May 2012 Richard Mdluli is quoted in an iAfrica news article as saying, inter alia: "For the past 33 years I have been in the police, I have never pulled the trigger and killed a person in my life," Analysis: "I never pulled the trigger" ( very specific ) vs I never pulled a trigger =This suggests he knows who pulled a (the) trigger in a specific incident or incidents. "I never pulled the trigger and killed a person" = the person was killed by other means, or I klilled him but not by gunshot. = The words strongly imply collusion or participation. Mdluli is older than 33yrs. The words (out of sequence now) "For the past 33 yrs I never killed a person in my life" are contradictory. It suggests that he never killed anyone in his first 33 yrs of life. RULE: There is no coincidence in a persons words. Everything said has a meaning and is reference to real life activities (past). A cognitive process takes place before words are uttered. We can say that Mdluli has a strong inner desire to tell his stories truthfully. The need to lie conflicts strongly with one's inner emotions - therefore it is not easy to lie.