Insurance murder accused Agnes Segomotsi Setshwantsho will wait 54 days for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the North West to authorise the transfer of the case to a higher court, owing to its serious nature.
The Molopo magistrates’ court postponed the case against the 49-year-old to May 22 on Thursday.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Henry Mamothame, the investigations on this matter are at an advanced stage. He added that Setshwantso is currently in police custody after she was denied bail in December 2023.
Mamothame said: “The court ruled that she failed to prove any exceptional circumstance for her to be granted bail.”
Setshwantsho is facing a charge of murder, two of fraud and one of defeating the ends of justice.
Allegedly insured lives of 40 relatives
Her alleged planned murder spree came to an end after her relatives alerted the police. She was discovered to have taken out life insurance policies on about 40 family members.
The South African Police (SAPS) reported that on November 16, 2023, an intelligence operation led to her arrest. She was arrested on suspicion that she murdered her relatives to benefit from insurance claims.
The suspect was arrested in Centurion during a takedown operation, led by the SAPS. The operation was in collaboration and full co-operation with an insurance company.
Prime suspect in more deaths
Setshwantsho is also a prime suspect in the death of her son.
Police are also investigating the mysterious deaths of her husband and two daughters.
The police further reported that for two months Sergeant Keshi Mabunda and a team of detectives worked on the case. This was following a tip-off from relatives of this suspect.
A police report revealed that one of the murders, initially ruled a natural death, happened in Mmabatho in North West. In this case, a female relative died under mysterious circumstances in March 2023.
“Investigations have revealed that the suspect fraudulently took out insurance on behalf of her relative before her murder,” Mamothame said.
North West DPPS’s Rachel Makhari, together with the National Police Commissioner General Fanie Masemola, lauded the prosecution and investigation team. Led by Advocate Dalton Tshinyani and Sergeant Mabunda, the team was lauded for the progress made in this case.
Setshwantsho will remain in police custody until the matter is concluded.
