Nurse in dock over R6m insurance claim after domestic worker's murder

A Gauteng nurse arrested in connection with a R6m insurance claim after the death of her domestic worker appeared in the Lenasia magistrate's court on Friday. 

Sithembile Xulu, 48, was charged with fraud. She is yet to plead to the charge.

In a dramatic turn of events, a second suspect was arrested overnight and a family member of Xulu's was arrested by police outside court after the trial adjourned.

Xulu, who works at a clinic in Alberton, was arrested on Tuesday at her home in Vosloorus.

She is under investigation by police for allegedly orchestrating her 21-year-old domestic worker's murder to cash in on life insurance.

Three life policies were taken out in the name of the domestic worker with three different insurance companies.

The companies froze the policies on suspicion they were fraudulently obtained.

Busiswa Nxumalo’s body was found in January 2022 at a dump site not far from Xulu’s previous home in Lenasia South. She had been stabbed to death.

There is a high possibility of a murder charge being added to Xulu's docket when the trial resumes on Tuesday, the state said on Friday.

Prosecutor Tumelo Maunye told the court the fraud charge emanated from a murder. 

“The annexure is not completed, but, in brief, it is a fraud emanating from claiming insurance money from a murder case.

“There is another suspect who has been arrested in the early hours of the morning.”

Maunye said the second suspect was going to do a pointing out over the weekend.

“The possibilities, which are high, is the murder charge will be added after this other accused is added [to the docket],” Maunye said.

Immediately after court proceedings were postponed to Tuesday, police arrested a third suspect.

The woman, a relative of Xulu's, was apprehended when she left the court building.

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