Murder-accused Limpopo cop takes the stand in bail bid
Murder-accused police officer Rachel Kutumela-Shokane told the Polokwane District Court on Wednesday that she only found out about the investigation into her in February 2024.
Rachel Shokane-Kutumela (43), her 47-year-old sister Annah Shokane and her 27-year-old daughter Flora Shokane began their application to be granted bail on Wednesday.
The three are linked to nine insurance-related killings after three more counts were added by the State.
Kutama-Shokane took the stand on Wednesday to provide her version of events up until her arrest at the Senwabarwana police station in September.
Shokane-Kutumela said the police told her that they were inquiring about ABSA insurance claims linked to the death of one Sydney Noko Monja, who was killed in 2019.
“I might not be accurate with dates, but I became aware of the investigation into the insurance claim after receiving a call from Sergeant Mabula, who is an investigating officer attached to Matlala SAPS, in February,” Kutumela-Shokane told the court.
“He was also an investigating officer in the case of Navel Kutumela (one of the victims), where he helped with documents that were required by the insurance company.
“He called and asked how the insurance claim with ABSA bank is going and I told him that the bank hasn’t yet paid and they are taking the claim for further investigations.”
Kutumela-Shokane allegedly began her killing spree in October 2019.
when she allegedly killed Sydney Noko Montja, followed by Joyce Tsela Malesa in July 2020 and Navel Kutumela in April 2021.
She and her co-accused are accused of taking out fraudulent life and funeral insurance policies for multiple victims, claiming R10 million in the process.
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