A pastor, his fiancée and his cousin have been accused of brutally murdering a 25-year-old woman in order to collect her life insurance.
Pastor Melisizwe Monqo, Siphosihle Pamba, and Phumlani Qusheka are applying for bail in the George Magistrate’s Court in the Western Cape on Tuesday, the George Herald reported.
The court heard last week that Hlompho Mohapi was duped into going to Thembalethu Square shopping centre in order to take a blood test on July 5. She believed it was for a job interview at George airport, but the airport insists that no such job existed.
Detective Constable Thembekile Matwa said that two days before Mohapi's death, the accused took out a life insurance policy on her worth R200,000 and a funeral policy worth R50,000. The blood test was a prerequisite for a second, R3-million life insurance policy, they applied for. The couple allegedly impersonated their victim on the phone in order to take out the policies.
Matwa also said that Mohapi may not have been the only target, as he discovered other intended victims who had life policies taken out without their knowledge.
The state is expected to oppose their bail application.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
