POLOKWANE – Two of Sergeant Rachel Kutumela’s family members will join her in a Vhembe prison from today following the trio’s appearance in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court.

Kutumela’s daughter Modjadji Florah Shokane (27) and her sister Raesetja Annah Shokane (47) were arrested on Thursday in Makgofe village, Moletjie for the alleged roles they played in the death of six people for a payout of R10m in insurance policy funds.

Read more: Insurance murders: Rachel Kutumela’s daughter and sister arrested

The trio will remain in custody in order to apply for bail all at once, although Kutumela was meant to apply today.

The Shokane’s have been charged with 25 counts including receiving proceeds from unlawful activities, while money
laundering charges apply to Kutumela and her daughter, the third accused.

Sergeant Rachel Kutumela, her daughter Modjadji Florah Shokane (27) and her sister Raesetja Annah Shokane (47) appeared before the Polokwane Magistrate's Court today on multiple charges including money laundering and receiving proceeds from unlawful activities. pic.twitter.com/4er7sY62Ll

— Polokwane Observer (@PolokwaneObserv) October 18, 2024

From the five luxury vehicles allegedly bought with a portion of the payout, a police insider has revealed to the Polokwane Review-Observer that several were registered in Modjadji’s name.

Read more: Limpopo insurance murders: Sergeant had five luxury vehicles

The NPA’s regional spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi revealed that more arrests were imminent.

Kutumela’s legal representative Moses Manthata will also represent the other two accused.

Manthata claimed to the Review-Observer that there was no evidence directly linking his clients to the six deaths and also hinted that the victims were related to the three.

Manthata said he would attempt to negotiate for the women to be kept at a prison closer for the sake of their legal consultation with him.

The Review-Observer understands that Ephraim Choshi who died on August 1, 2021 was an uncle to Kutumela while Noko Montja was an ex-lover and Navel Kutumela a young brother.

Outside the court, a family member of one of the victims, Jane Seakamela told the media that she doesn’t know how the accused obtained her brother’s death certificate to claim a life policy.

Her statement has been translated into English below:

“We do not how the accused obtained my brother’s death certificate to claim from a fraudulent life policy. When my brother was murdered on September 14, 2022, he and his child’s mother had long separated. While we were preparing to bury my brother, the ex-lover and Kutumela approached us claiming to assist with the burial. We refused their offer. I was angry and I refused because the two women were not related to us. We later established that the two women had claimed funds from insurance companies. Kutumela even knew before us that the post-mortem results of my brother’s murder were ready. We still do not know how the life cover and funeral policies were obtained on his behalf. We were shocked when we heard that there was a life cover and funeral policy under my brother’s name. Rachel then insisted to help us with the burial funds. Her behaviour was very suspicious. She even approached a mortuary seeking my brother’s death certificate to claim from insurance companies. We also do not know how she obtained the documents. My brother received calls from insurance companies verifying if we were indeed making those claims. The insurance investigators showed us a family letter claiming that he was traditionally married to his ex-lover – which was not the case. That lobola letter was fake. The author thereof even faked my mother’s signature. My mother could not write so there was a cross they claimed she made. We then involved the police and even went back and forth with the Seshego police station.”

The trio will next appear in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on October 30 and 31 as well as November 1 to apply for bail.