The Durban High Court has sentenced Mthofi Cyril Msipho (53) and Nonhlanhla Cynthia Mbele (42) to three life terms and 45 years imprisonment each after they were convicted of three counts of murder and three counts of conspiracy to commit murder.
In addition to the murder convictions, Mbele received a further 45 years in prison for defrauding Capitec Bank and Centriq Life Insurance of over R300,000. The court heard how Mbele had devised a fraudulent scheme to enrich herself through life insurance policies between June 2019 and September 2020.
Mbele obtained funeral cover plans through Capitec and Centriq, insuring members of her family and others known to her. She made herself the policyholder and beneficiary. Mbele even persuaded her son to obtain similar policies, where he insured various family members. According to the policies, Capitec would pay double the cover amount if the insured person died due to an accident or unnatural causes.
Between July 15, 2019, and June 26, 2020, Mbele partnered with Msipho, who enlisted the help of others to have Suzan Xolo (her biological sister), Thamsanqa Mthembu (a church acquaintance), and Thulani Mdlalose (her brother-in-law) murdered. After their deaths, Mbele lodged fraudulent claims with the insurance companies and received payouts. Msipho was compensated for his role in the killings.
The conspiracy charges also involved additional victims who were insured by Mbele but survived, as the planned murders were thwarted after a tip-off. The victims managed to escape harm when one of the conspirators alerted them to the danger.
According to Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), key evidence in court included testimony from Mbele’s son, a Section 204 witness, and family members of the victims. Mbele’s son revealed that while he obtained the policies, it was under his mother’s direction, who controlled the bank accounts and cards linked to the schemes. The victims’ families testified that they had no knowledge of the policies or the insurance payouts, and did not benefit from them.
In court, victim impact statements from Mbele’s own mother and sister were read. Mbele’s mother described her devastation and trauma over her daughter’s actions, particularly arranging the murder of her own sister. Mbele’s sister expressed frustration, stating that her sibling’s actions had brought misery and financial hardship to their family.
Msipho and Mbele each received three life sentences for the murders, as well as 15 years each for conspiracy to commit murder. Mbele also received a further 15 years for each count of fraud, with all sentences to run concurrently.
The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the sentence, commending the efforts of the prosecution and its partners in ensuring justice for the victims of the crime.
