A 46-year-old Eastern Cape woman attempted to kill her cousin over a R120,000 insurance payout has been jailed to life behind bars.
Nomsa Caroline Seyisi was sentenced to murder and attempted murder in the High Court of South Africa, Eastern Cape Division, Makhanda on Wednesday.
The court heard that Seyisi had taken out an insurance policy on her first cousin Zukiswa Frans.
The two had grown up together in the same house.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said Seyisi conspired with two hitmen to kill Frans and her boyfriend Thembinkosi Wambi, 41.
On the day of the murder on August 25, 2023, Seyisi arrived with two men at Wambi’s parents home.
“Seyisi, as part of a pre-planned ruse to lure Frans away and kill her, asked Frans to accompany them to direct the men to the house of a certain traditional healer,” explained NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali.
Both Frans and Wambi boarded the vehicle with Seyisi and her companions, who introduced themselves as “Ndumiso” and “Siya”.
The NPA said en route to Mayfair Farm, Seyisi asked the driver to stop so she could urinate.
“The driver stopped the vehicle, and Seyisi and the two men got out.
“One of the males ordered Wambi to get out of the vehicle, dragging him by the shoulder.
“Seyisi then ordered Frans to get out as well. One of the men took both Wambi and Frans cell phones and instructed them to lie face down on the ground, with their hands behind their heads.”
The court heard that Wambi was shot in the head and died at the scene, while the bullet that struck Frans hit her hand but did not penetrate.
“Frans pretended to be dead, covering her head with her hand.”
The court heard that after the shooting, one of the men instructed Seyisi to check whether the victims were dead.
“She placed her foot on the backs of each of the victims and reported to her accomplices that they were indeed dead.
“Seyisi and her companions then drove off, leaving the couple behind, assuming they were both dead.”
Frans managed to walk to a nearby house, where the police were called.
“Days later, after learning that the police were searching for her, Seyisi voluntarily handed herself in at the Makhanda Police Station.”
Seyisi’s two male accomplices remain at large.
The NPA said the motive for the murder was due to an insurance police which was taken out without Frans’ knowledge, which would pay out R120,000 in the event of an unnatural death.
Tyali said during court proceedings insurance company Sanlam testified about the life insurance policy that had been taken out on Frans.
In addition to life for the murder, Seyisi got an additional 15 years for attempted murder.
Welcoming the sentence, Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Barry Madolo, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome and said the case highlights the growing concern over so-called “insurance murders” where individuals resort to violence for monetary gain.
IOL News