A South African policewoman, 43-year-old Rachel Kutumela, appeared in court on Friday for allegedly murdering six people to claim insurance payouts worth at least 10 million rand (about $570,000).
The killings reportedly began in 2019. Kutumela stood in the dock of a court in Polokwane, about 300 kilometers (190 miles) northeast of Johannesburg. She covered her face with a hoodie and mask until the court ordered her to show herself.
She was arrested on Thursday while on duty at a police station in the small town of Senwabarwana, which is about 90 km from Polokwane. According to a police statement, “Her victims were known to her and were from destitute and disadvantaged backgrounds, and some were disabled or mentally challenged.”
Kutumela is charged with six murders and is accused of claiming at least 10 million rand from funeral cost insurance and life policies taken out on behalf of her victims. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) stated, “The incidents began in 2019 when the insured persons would be found dead and their bodies dumped in different areas.”
The authority provided details of some of the incidents, stating that the body of one man, who was disabled, was found in a dam, while a woman was discovered burned to death in a shack.
“This is a premeditated case,” said NPA provincial spokeswoman Mashudu Malabi Dzhangi, speaking to local broadcaster ENCA outside the court. The case has been postponed to October 18 for a bail hearing, and prosecutors have indicated that they expect more arrests.
In a similar case in 2021, South Africans were shocked when former police officer Rosemary Ndlovu was sentenced to life in prison for murdering five relatives and a boyfriend to collect insurance claims.
