Deceased ‘took out funeral policy under my guidance’, alleged insurance killer tells court

Alleged insurance killer Rachel Shokane Kutumela testified on Thursday in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court, saying that one of her alleged victims had taken out a funeral policy for himself under her guidance.

The 43-year-old Kutumela continued her bail application alongside her elder sister, 47-year-old Annah Shokane, and 23-year-old daughter, Madjadji Flora Shokane, on Thursday

They face at least 30 charges including nine counts of murder, money laundering, receiving proceeds from unlawful activities, fraud and defeating the ends of justice.

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The State has accused Kutumela of killing Sydney Noko Montja, Joyce Tsela Malesa, Navel Kutumela, Maphari Ephraim Chosi, Jacob Petrus Seakamela and Phuthi Martin Mothata between 2019 and 2024.

Kutumela: ‘My mother struggled’

Kutumela explained that she began insuring her family members after joining the police force. This after witnessing her mother’s financial struggles at a young age.

“Growing up, my mother took care of us and my father passed away when I was still young. My mother struggled to bury my father, his death was more painful because of that,” she said.

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“My maternal grandmother died and my mother struggled to bury her. We grew up, and I was the first to get employed in the family.

“After joining the Saps [South African Police Service], people from insurance companies would visit us at work and educated us on death. That’s when I started covering my whole family including my uncle [Maphari Ephraim Chosi] because he was my mother’s responsibility.”

Navel’s funeral policy

Navel, Kutumela’s brother-in-law, lived with her and her husband. She accompanied him to the bank to take out a funeral policy, naming herself as the beneficiary following a discussion with her husband.

“I was with Navel when he opened a policy with FNB for R63,000. He took the policy under my guidance. He’s not the one who made the decision to make me the beneficiary of this policy. We made the decision with his brother (her husband),” Kutumela told the court.

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“When we were at the bank, after deciding that Navel must have a funeral policy just like any other human being, when it came to listing a beneficiary, I contacted my husband and he said I should be listed as the beneficiary.”

Navel later died in a car accident, and FNB paid R126,000 due to the accidental nature of his death. Kutumela spent R12,000 from this payout, as another policy covered other funeral expenses.

“The deceased was staying with us, so my husband was the one who was in charge of the funeral arrangements. At the time of his death, I had a three-month-old baby. I gave him [my husband] the money,” she said.

“We spent about R12,000 out of the money from FNB because other burial costs were paid for [by other policies]. We had a package with Northern Funeral and they took care of the entire funeral and we were able to erect a tombstone.”

‘Not guilty’

Kutumela denied taking out the policy with any intent to cause Navel’s accidental death to increase the payout.

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“It’s not like that, when I took out the policy, it was a normal funeral policy and covered him as my extended family,” Kutumela said.

Kutumela had also taken out an additional policy with Assupol Life without Navel’s knowledge, although her husband was aware of it and agreed to it.

She pleaded not guilty to all charges related to her brother-in-law’s death.