Greed drives people to kill friends, relatives - top sleuth

A Gauteng top police officer who is behind investigations into life insurance murders has revealed that greed and gambling addiction are some of the contributing factors that drive people to kill their friends and relatives for money

Capt Keshi Mabunda, who was involved in the high-profile case of convicted murderer Rosemary Ndlovu, has now been roped in to assist the investigator handling the case of Sithembile Happiness Xulu, a Gauteng nurse accused of murdering her domestic worker for insurance. Xulu appeared in court with her gardener Simon Mogale for the murder of Busisiwe Nxumalo in Lenasia in 2022 and they are expected to apply for bail on Wednesday.

Mabunda said some of the work he has done in Xulu’s case was to prepare the investigators for work that needed to be done. 

“I am strictly dealing with these [insurance] cases. I am at the head office overseeing all the cases around the country helping the investigating officers. I deal with multiple murder cases and my colleagues deal with individual murders, but I offer help in order to get convictions. In the Lenasia matter, I am assisting the investigating officer with the collection of evidence,” he said. 

Mabunda told Sowetan that he has seen a prevalence of insurance murders, and he has about 20 dockets relating to insurance murders. He said of these were cold cases dating back to 2005. 

“These cases were there in numbers even before, but the Rosemary case exposed it and now police are aware of these cases, and [we] do thorough investigations. The insurance companies are also helping [the] police by supplying information because when we check the claims made, a policy is taken six months prior to the deceased being killed,” he explained.

Ndlovu was handed six life sentences for the murder of her partner and five family members to claim funeral and life insurance taken out on their lives.

Mabunda said the culprits were motivated by greed. 

“Greed drives these people. They love money and most of the people who are performing such crimes are gambling addicts. When they get the money, they go and gamble and they finish the money and then go back and kill another person,” he said.  

He explained that some of the culprits seemed to be the most caring in their community.

“When a person dies, the person comes and offers help, those are the flags that people should be aware of. When you are sick, the person is the one taking care of the person, you can’t even suspect them.

He said perpetrators use different tactics to win the trust of their target and others, even using other people to join policies on their behalf so they cannot be suspected if the insured person dies.

Mabunda said investigating such cases was challenging.

“You deal with people who are connected and who have money. They are connected to officials in different places. They have contacts with doctors, home affairs [and] pathologists. They go to the official and even ask them to print a death certificate.  

“It is very difficult to investigate these cases because you have to win the family over. This is because the family trusts these people but if you win them over you are able to obtain statements that you can present in court,” he said. 

Following the successful prosecution of Ndlovu, Mabunda was again in the limelight with the arrest of Agnes Setshwantsho in North West in November. She is accused of killing her cousin and child for insurance. 

“Agnes [Setshwantsho] was the best aunt ever in the family. She would offer help where needed and even in the community, if there is any gathering she would assist with money. People in the community loved her. Rosemary was the same as well. She was caring and even the mother came during the trial and testified in her defence,” said Mabunda.

One of the cases he is investigating involves a police officer who is believed to have murdered about 10 people for money. The officer is yet to be arrested. 

“I am seeing worse cases. Rosemary [Ndlovu] is an angel compared to the cases that I am investigating currently. The manner in which people are killed is very scary [in the cases he is currently investigating]. I cannot divulge some of the cases because that is sub judice,” he said. 

“It was the Rosemary case that made people aware — there were cases before that but were never properly investigated. People became aware of insurance fraud and murder for money after this one.”

Mabunda was previously with the serious and violent crimes unit. 

He started focusing on insurance fraud cases and assisting his colleagues in investigating similar matters after he nailed Ndlovu.

chabalalaj@sowetan.co.za