‘Why did you kill my child?’: Mother of domestic worker killed for R6m insurance policies

The nurse accused of orchestrating the murder of domestic worker Busiswa Nxumalo, 21, to allegedly cash in on R6m from life policies had asked her grandmother "persistently" to give her Busiswa.

This is according to Tholakele Nxumalo, 43, the mother of Busiswa who was killed in January 2022.

Tholakele travelled from KwaZulu-Natal to Johannesburg this week to attend the bail hearing of Sithembile Xulu, 48, and her domestic worker Simon Mogale who are accused of killing her daughter.

Xulu and Mogale are charged with murder, fraud and defeating the ends of justice.

The two allegedly murdered Busiswa by slitting her throat. Her body was found at a dumpsite not far from Xulu's previous home in Lenasia South.

Tholakele, a mother of four spoke candidly outside the Lenasia magistrate's court on Friday about her slain daughter, who was her firstborn.

“I have three children after her. I last saw her in 2021 in September when she left home. She left after Xulu had been persistently calling my mother demanding that she give Busiswa to her,” she said.

She said she never knew her child as “troublesome” or a thief. She learnt about her daughter's death when Xulu called her and told her she had been assaulted. 

“She [Xulu] never came home to us to explain since the tragedy [occurred]. Even during the funeral she never came,” she said. 

Tholakele said Xulu had told the family she couldn't attend the funeral as she had to attend another funeral at her home.

“I was hurt to find out that my child lost her life in the hands [of someone] who claimed she knew nothing. My question to her now is why did you kill my child?”

Tholakele said she was in court to see Xulu for the first time after she had left with her daughter two years ago. She said Xulu had insisted on taking her child away, promising her a good life in Gauteng.

“She promised to look after my daughter yet knowing that she was [allegedly] going to kill her. I only knew about my daughter’s painful death when the nurse called saying my daughter was killed by a mob that caught her stealing at Lensia South. My daughter was never a criminal, she was an obedient child who had beautiful dreams,” said the sobbing mother.

An emotional Tholakele said her daughter's dream had been shattered. “I will never see her beautiful smile again. I will never hear her soft voice again. My firstborn child for whom I wished beautiful things for her future was brutally killed [allegedly] by someone who wanted to be rich,” she said. 

She said Xulu had only contributed R500 towards the petrol for a vehicle that transported her daughter's body to KwaZulu-Natal.

She said the car that Xulu allegedly organised to transport her daughter's body home was worn out, carrying her half-naked child in a coffin. 

“I had expected her to come to the funeral because she was the last person who saw my daughter alive but she never came. She said she had to attend another funeral,” said Tholakele. 

She added she never received the R14,000 that Xulu had promised for the funeral. “It was all just empty promises. We were drowning in debt begging for money from friends, neighbours and even family [for the funeral]. It was painful,” she said. 

Xulu and Mogale briefly appeared in court on Friday and their bail hearing was postponed to August 8. 

The court heard that the recording machines were out of order and the other courtroom in which the hearing was initially planned to be heard was busy. 

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