A South African couple has been convicted of the mrder of the wife’s ex-boyfriend in a chilling plot driven by financial greed. The Pretoria High Court found Sibusiso Mahlangu (34) and Lerato Mahlangu (33) guilty of premeditated mrder, conspiracy to commit m**rder, and three counts of fraud.
The case, detailed by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on Wednesday, November 19, 2024, revealed a shocking scheme. Before marrying Sibusiso Mahlangu, Lerato was in a relationship with the victim, Sibusiso Sithebe, with whom she had a child. On January 2, 2022, the Mahlangu couple lured Sithebe to their home in Soshanguve, where they killed him. They attempted to disguise the crime by staging the scene: they placed Sibusiso Mahlangu’s ring on the victim’s finger, dressed him in Mahlangu’s clothes, and burned the body inside the house.
Lerato then pretended to arrive at the scene from Kwa-Mhlanga, Mpumalanga, claiming to have been informed about the fire. She falsely identified the body as her husband’s, preventing Sithebe’s family from recognizing the victim due to the state of the remains.
Shortly after, Lerato submitted fraudulent insurance claims to Old Mutual, where she worked as a sales consultant. On January 6, 2022, she filed claims totaling R575,000, including R500,000 in life cover, R25,000 in funeral cover, and R50,000 in death benefits.
The plot unraveled when Sibusiso Mahlangu was arrested on April 18, 2023, in Hammanskraal for possession of a stolen vehicle. Authorities discovered he had been officially registered as deceased. Lerato was arrested two days later, on April 20, 2023.
Despite pleading not guilty, the State, led by Advocate Vusumuzi Tshabalala, presented compelling evidence, including testimony from Mahlangu’s mother. She recounted how Covid-19 restrictions prevented close viewing of the body during the funeral, reinforcing their belief that the deceased was indeed her son.
Judge Papi Masopa, delivering the judgment, noted that while the prosecution’s case relied on circumstantial evidence, it successfully proved guilt beyond reasonable doubt. He also found the State’s witnesses credible and reliable. The case has been postponed to November 22, 2024, for provisional sentencing.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) hailed the conviction as a vital step in securing justice for Sithebe’s family.
