Sithembile Xulu, 48, a nurse from Alberton, and Simon Mogale, her co-accused, appeared at the Lenasia Magistrate’s Court on charges related to the murder of 21-year-old domestic worker Busisiwe Nxumalo.
Nxumalo was found dead in January 2022 with her throat slit near a dumpsite close to Xulu’s former residence in Lenasia South. Xulu reportedly told Nxumalo’s family that the victim had been killed by an angry community, accusing her of being troublesome.
According to Nxumalo’s uncle, Njabulo, Xulu first contacted him about the murder. He stated that Xulu tried to meet him multiple times to view the body at the morgue but never showed up. Later, Xulu reportedly promised to help with the funeral expenses and logistics, including providing R14,000 for the burial, transport for the body, and other funeral costs.
Despite these promises, it was later revealed that Xulu had taken out life insurance policies in Nxumalo’s name with three different companies, each amounting to millions of rands. These policies were frozen on suspicion of fraud. Xulu allegedly received R700,000 in funeral policies from various banks.
Njabulo was unaware that Nxumalo had been insured and was shocked to learn about the life insurance claims. Investigations are ongoing, and the case has been postponed for a bail hearing set for July 3.
Xulu is charged with murder, fraud, and attempting to claim millions from multiple life insurance policies.