Mahlangu couple to stand trial for ‘insurance murder’

In the coming months, Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, couple Lerato and Sibusiso Mahlangu will stand trial for the murder of a man believed to be Lerato’s former partner Sibusiso Sithebe.

The state believes the couple lured, killed and burnt Sithebe in their home in January last year, and then claimed that the dead man was Mahlangu (Sibusiso).

But as the couple appeared in court yesterday, authorities were yet to prove that the body buried last year was that of Sithebe.

Police have told Sithebe’s desperate family that although they believe their son was buried last year, they are yet to get the approval to exhume his body for tests and genetic identification.

So far, the murder case is anchored on finding the body that was found at Lerato’s house on January 1 last year.

The couple also faces charges of defeating the ends of justice and fraud. Both these relate to allegations that they allegedly submitted false information to home affairs, claiming that Mahlangu (Sibusiso) had died.

While the NPA says that the motive for the murder was to collect insurance funds, spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana yesterday said they were yet to get information about the suspected insurance claims.

As the pair set in the dock before proceedings started, Lerato, who appeared timid in a pink Nike sweater, told Sowetan that she was feeling nervous and scared as a packed gallery of community members were yelling slurs at her.

Her husband told Sowetan that he had not done anything wrong and that he did not make any confession to the police.

When asked by reporters whether he understood why he was behind the dock, Sibusiso responded: “They explained to me why I am here, so I know.”

He was also asked if he was getting proper treatment in prison, to which he responded while shrugging: “Of course not.”

It was when he was asked about his staged death that he was instructed by his attorney not to speak any further.

The case was postponed to May 18 after the two, through their legal aid representative, requested to appoint a private attorney to facilitate their bail application.

During proceedings, prosecutor Katlego Matsena told the court that the murder charge had since been altered to premeditated murder. “Count one of murder is alleged to be premeditated,” Matsena said.

Outside court, members of the community protested, calling for justice for Sithebe. to be served. They also community members questioned how the Mahlangu family buried a body that was not theirs without noticing it.

“Even the police, do they not take fingerprints of the deceased? How did the mortuary not see that the picture they were using on display on the day of the funeral did not match the corpse they held?” yelled one member of the community.

Sithebe’s aunt recalled how their futile searches for him saw them visiting mortuaries and spiritual healers in an attempt to locate him. “We have identified over 20 bodies at three different mortuaries looking for him. Every time we would get a phone call that a body has been found, we would rush there hoping it would be him,” she said.

“We also resorted to seeing prophets and traditional healers to find answers. One traditional healer told us that he had been killed and that his body was buried, but she just couldn’t see where exactly. All we want now is to bury our child.”

sibiyan@sowetan.co.za