By Levy Masiteng
Police said on Tuesday they were executing seven warrants of arrest in Limpopo in connection with a R10 million insurance murder-for-payout scheme linked to former police sergeant Rachel Shokane-Kutumela.
Three suspects had already been arrested in early morning operations, said SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
ALSO READ: Nearly 3000 baby formula units recalled over possible contamination
She said those arrested included two brothers and a sangoma, and that more arrests were expected.
In a statement, Mathe said investigators believed the suspects were involved in a scheme in which life and funeral insurance policies were taken out on at least 10 people who were later murdered so that payouts could be claimed.
The arrests are linked to Shokane-Kutumela, who was arrested in October 2024 while on duty at the Senwabarwana police station and has since been dismissed from the South African Police Service.
She remains in custody with three co-accused — her sister, daughter and elder brother — after they were denied bail.
ALSO READ: eThekwini provides lessons on stabilising local government
The group allegedly targeted vulnerable people, including those from disadvantaged communities, and fraudulently took out insurance policies in their names before orchestrating their deaths.
According to Limpopo National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, the suspects allegedly claimed more than R10 million from several insurance companies after the victims died under suspicious circumstances.
“The incidents began in 2019 when the insured persons would be found dead and their bodies dumped in different areas. In one incident, a woman was burnt in her shack and in another, a man who was disabled was also discovered drowned in a dam,” Malabi-Dzhangi said.
“It is alleged that Sergeant Kutumela fraudulently took out life and funeral insurance for the various victims and has since claimed R10m as a sole beneficiary from various service providers, including ABSA, Standard Bank, Capitec, Hollard, Assupol, Old Mutual, Onelife, and Clientele,” Malabi-Dzhangi said.
Shokane-Kutumela and her co-accused face multiple charges, including murder, fraud, money laundering, and defeating the ends of justice.
