Murder-accused nurse pleads for bail release

A Gauteng nurse accused of orchestrating the murder of her domestic worker to cash out a R6m insurance claim has pleaded with the court to release her on bail because her patients need her.

Sithembile Happiness Xulu, 48, who works at a clinic in Alberton, took the stand at the Lenasia magistrate’s  court yesterday in her bail application for the murder of 21-year-old Busisiwe Nxumalo, whom she allegedly insured for R6m, and later had her murdered. 

“I do not agree to these charges. I did not commit any offence,” she said.

“If I am denied bail I would suffer prejudice because I suffer from an illness. My children would suffer the consequences [and] the payment of my home loan would be in danger, and my colleagues and patients would also suffer prejudice,” she added.

Xulu appeared alongside her co-accused and gardener Simon Mogale, 37. .The two face three counts of fraud, murder and defeating the ends of justice. They allegedly murdered Nxumalo in January 2022 by slitting her throat. Her body was found at a dumpsite not far from Xulu’s previous home in Lenasia South.

Xulu told the young woman’s family she was killed by a angry community members who had accused her of being troublesome.

Testifying in her application for bail, the 48-year-old Xulu distanced herself from Nxumalo’s murder and said she intended to plead not guilty. She also said she was willing to to pay between R3,000 and R5,000 for bail.

Life policies with three different insurance companies were taken out in Nxumalo’s name but were frozen on fraud suspicion. According to the charge sheet, Xulu took a R2m life cover policy from the different insurance companies in Nxumalo’s name. It says Xulu “did unlawfully and with intent to defraud misrepresent to King Price Life Insurance that she is Busisiwe Nxumalo when taking out the life cover policy to the value of R2m”.

The charge sheet states that Xulu also took out the life cover from OutSurance and 1 Life Insurance. She was arrested last month at her home in Vosloorus, while Mogale was nabbed in Limpopo.

Xulu told the court she won’t be a danger to the public or intimidate any witnesses if she were to be released on bail. “I suffer from diabetes. If I am kept in custody for a long time, I won’t survive. There are types of medication that are not allowed in prison,” she said.

Meanwhile, Xulu’s neighbours in Vosloorus, who all spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were shocked she had been arrested and charged with murder, saying that was unlike her.

"Super sweet", "always smiling" and "always happy", are some of the words they used to describe Xulu. 

“Haai wena, are you sure it’s her?” asked an elderly woman who lives opposite Xulu’s house after being shown a picture of her. “This woman was always friendly. She always greeted everyone with a big smile, and she would greet you everytime she sees you and ask how are you doing," she said.

The elderly woman also described Xulu as a recluse. “She used to lock herself inside her house, and during summer she will only open the burglar door. We would see her most of the time in the morning when she was coming from work and later in the afternoon when she is going to work. Yoh I am shocked,” the woman said.

Another neighbour said he last saw Xulu about a month ago, and had been wondering where she was. " I knew her because she used to stay here, and she left and put tenants. About three years ago she came back and was staying with her child, who is in the early 20s,” said the neighbour.

The man said he did not know Xulu’s name but used to do odd jobs for her around the house. He said it all started when he used to see her carrying groceries after getting off a taxi, and he would help her.

They never exchanged names even though there was a time she had hired him to paint her house.  

According to another resident, Xulu did not have friends and was always at home. “You mean the nurse? I don’t even know her name, but she was super sweet," the man said.

"I used to see her when she is going to work in the afternoon and when she knocks of in the morning in her nurse's uniform. Yeah, now it makes sense. I have not seen her in a while. I guess you can never know the heart of a person by seeing him or her smile.”

Xulu and Mogale will be back in court on July 10.