R10m insurance murders: victims insured two months before being killed

A woman alleged to be part of an insurance-for-murder syndicate was allegedly given a trip to Cape Town so she could be many kilometres away when the killers went to her house and murdered her brother for a payout.

After Strydom Ruiters was brutally murdered, Martha, who was in Cape Town, was then informed, booked a flight back home and members of the alleged syndicate went and picked her up from the airport. They then took her to a police station where she made an affidavit saying her brother was married to one of them.

This is what Capt Keshi Mabunda revealed on Thursday at the Polokwane magistrate’s court where some members of the syndicate that is believed to have received R10m from insurance payouts following their victims’ murders were applying for bail.

Mabunda is the same officer who brought down former police officer Rosemary Ndlovu, who organised hits on six relatives and received insurance payouts following their murders.

Allegations are that the syndicate was led by Rachel Kutumela, a former police officer who was fired after her arrest. Other alleged members are her daughter Florah Shokane Kutumela, sister Annah Shokane, husband David Kutumela, and four brothers − Thomas Shokane, William Shokane and his twin Robert, as well as Johannes Shokane − Damaris Selepe who is a cousin, Martha Ruiters and sangoma Benedictor Mataba.

In his testimony yesterday against the granting of bail, Mabunda revealed that Martha was part of the plot to kill her brother and that after one of the insurance policies paid, she was given R10,000 while the rest of the money was distributed to other members of the sysdicate.

Mabunda said on the day of Ruiter’s murder, Annah and Johannes Shokane visited him at Martha’s house as he was looking after it while she was away in Cape Town.

“The following day, the deceased was found dumped next to a road − it seems like he was beaten up and dragged to death − and made to look like it was an accident.

“Our investigations show that Rachel, Annah and Johannes were involved in his death, and Martha was involved in the planning.”

According to Mabunda, many of the victims were killed about a month of two after they were insured.

In the case of Strydom, he died on May 4 2019 after Annah took a R1m Old Mutual policy on April 2 2019, he said.

The R1.5m FNB accidental death cover was taken out on March 19 2019 while a R200,000 Sanlam cover was also taken the same day.

Both FNB and Old Mutual refused to pay “due to misrepresentation”.

Anna had also taken about a R75,000 Hollard funeral policy, but Mabunda did not say when.

Hollard later paid and Anna gave Martha R10,000.

He said Sanlam also paid but did not disclose what share Martha got.

Mabunda also revealed that Johannes used to call insurance companies and took insurance pretending to be some of the victims. The person who funded the installments was his brother-in-law David.

He said they found out that he had pretended to be both Petrus Seakamela and Gordon Rasekoma when he took the insurance telephonically.

According to Mabunda, Johannes took a R1m insurance from King Price on April 16 2020, a R2m death benefit from Discovery on April 28 2020 and a R100,000 accidental death cover from Clientele on the same day.

Rasekoma was found burnt in his house on June 6 2020.

“We were surprised to find that only the upper part of his body was burnt; the legs were not burnt. It is clear that this person was killed [elsewhere], then put in the house, then the house was burnt down,” said Mabunda.

Clientele later paid but King Price and Discovery refused, resulting in Anna and Kutumela taking it to the ombudsaman, said Mabunda.

Some of the victims of the syndicate include:

• Mphari Choshi, uncle to the Shokane siblings,
• Rasekoma, reported to be Anna Shokane’s husband,
• Ruiters, brother to Martha and reported to be Anna Shokane’s husband,
• Neville Kutumela, the mentally challenged younger brother to David Kutumela,
• Andrew Makgareetsa, a police officer from Westernburg SAPS and insured as a spouse to Annah Shokane,
• Noko Montja, insured by Racehel Kutumela as a spouse though she was married to David,
• Phuti Mothata, ex-spouse of Benedictor Mataba,
• Malesa Joyce Tsela, who was insured by Rachel as her aunt, and
• Petrus Seakamela, ex-boyfriend to Damaris Selepe and the father of her child.

Mabunda was expected to continue with his testimony on Friday.

Sowetan