Key Points
- Limpopo bail hearing postponed in R10 million insurance fraud case.
- Three family members face charges for murder and money laundering.
- Investigators say the suspects collected fraudulent insurance payouts.
The bail hearing for Madjadji Flora Shokane, accused of insurance fraud and murder, has been delayed until April.
Shokane, the 27-year-old daughter of Sergeant Rachel Raesetsa Shokane-Kutumela, appeared in Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) stated that the hearing will now take place on April 3 and 4, 2025.
Officials postponed it due to the presiding officer’s unavailability. Prosecutors allege that Shokane and her family fraudulently claimed over R10 million from insurance policies linked to multiple victims.
Family accused of insurance fraud and murder
Authorities charged Sergeant Shokane-Kutumela, her sister Annah Shokane, and Madjadji Flora Shokane with six counts of murder, money laundering, and 12 counts of fraud.
The NPA’s Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi revealed that the trio took out fraudulent insurance policies on victims and later collected the payouts.
Police arrested Sergeant Shokane-Kutumela on October 10, 2024, at Senwabarwana Police Station. A week later, officers detained her sister and daughter.
Investigators claim that the suspects shared the insurance payouts among themselves.
Malabi-Dzhangi confirmed that major insurance providers, including ABSA, Standard Bank, Hollard, and Old Mutual, processed the fraudulent payouts.
The case has drawn widespread attention due to the nature of the alleged crimes.
Investigators link fraud to multiple deaths
Officials believe the insurance fraud scheme is connected to murders spanning over two decades. Some victims died under suspicious circumstances, including a woman burned alive in her shack and a disabled man who drowned in a dam.
Investigators also found that Shokane-Kutumela transferred R500,000 to her sister to buy a Toyota Land Cruiser and a Range Rover at a Pretoria auction in 2020.
She registered the vehicles in her sister’s name, citing COVID-19 restrictions as the reason.
Authorities suspect that some victims were related to the accused, raising concerns about the extent of the fraud and murder case. The trial is expected to uncover more shocking details as investigations continue.
