The murder trial of Gauteng nurse Sithembile Xulu has been delayed due to problems with the court recording system.
On Friday, the Lenasia magistrate’s court was scheduled to hear a formal bail application. However, the hearing was rescheduled for August 7.
Busisiwe Nxumalo, 21, was reportedly killed by Xulu, 48, a nurse from a clinic in Alberton, Ekurhuleni. She was murdered for R6-million in insurance claim.
Carried out the R6m insurance murder with her gardener
Xulu’s co-accused, Simon Mogale, 37, supposedly worked for her as a gardener. They allegedly completed the murder plot together.
The duo remains behind bars.
After the court adjourned, the 21-year-old victim’s mother spoke to the media about her domestic worker daughter Tholakele Nxumalo. She said that she did not want her daughter to move to Xulu’s home in Johannesburg from KwaZulu-Natal.
The 43-year-old said the victim was her first born daughter and she last saw her in September 2021.
“The accused and I are cousins because our mothers are sisters. She asked for my daughter from my mother because her and I do not have a relationship. I was against the move from the start because I did not know where my child was going to be taken to,” said Nxumalo.
Suspect is victim’s aunt
According to Nxumalo, in January 2022 her cousin called to inform her about the news of her daughter’s passing.
“She called me and said my child had died after she was attacked by the community because she was a thief. I am not certain when she died, but from what I hear, she was killed the previous week and they informed me the following week.”
Nxumalo said the accused did not attend her daughter’s funeral. And did not bother to give her an explanation of the what really happened to her child.
“I have a question for her, what did I ever do to her? What did I do, for her to kill my daughter like this. I came to court today to see her, I did not want to see her from the papers, television or radio. But I had to come here.
Mother demands answers
“She owes me an explanation! I think she is a danger. Because if she managed to kill a person like this, it means she is capable of killing more people,” she added.
She revealed that the accused sent R500 to her as her contribution towards the burial of her daughter.
“We went all out, [borrowing] money from my community to make sure that we give my child a dignified funeral.”
