A 37-year-old South African woman, Nompelo Maloyi, has been sentenced to 26 years in prison for arranging the murder of her uncle, Mynhardt Maloyi, in a scheme to collect insurance money. Along with her accomplice and neighbor, Yithulwazi “Lwazi” Kay, she carried out the murder with the intention of benefiting from multiple insurance policies.
The murder took place in November 2022 at Mynhardt’s home in Graaff-Reinet. Evidence presented in court revealed that Nompelo had taken out several insurance policies on her uncle, worth a total of R165,000. Desperate to cash in on the payout, she offered Kay R20,000 to help her commit the crime.
On the night of November 25, 2022, Nompelo left her child with another neighbor, met up with Kay, and they both went to her uncle’s home. Using her role as his caregiver to gain access, they entered the house. Inside, they tied up Mynhardt, hit him on the head with a blunt object, and stabbed him multiple times in the neck, leading to his death. The next morning, Nompelo pretended to be concerned and asked a neighbor to check on her uncle, hoping to divert suspicion.
After the murder, Nompelo immediately filed insurance claims. However, things began to unravel when Kay became frustrated with not receiving his full payment. He started threatening her, which eventually led to their arrest. Nompelo even tried to find ways to either pay Kay the remaining money or eliminate him to cover her tracks.
During the trial, both Nompelo and Kay were found guilty of the murder. While the prosecution pushed for life sentences, the court determined that a 26-year sentence was appropriate due to certain circumstances. The prosecution plans to appeal, arguing that the sentence is too lenient for such a cold-blooded, premeditated crime.
This case highlights the troubling rise in insurance-related murders in South Africa. Authorities continue to warn about the dangers of insurance fraud, especially when it leads to violent crime. Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Barry Madolo, praised the investigative teams for their work, emphasizing the justice system’s firm stance against such heinous acts.
