A South African couple, Sibusiso and Lerato Mahlangu, have been convicted of murdering Lerato’s ex-boyfriend, Sibusiso Sithebe, and burning his body to claim over R500,000 in life insurance.

The Pretoria High Court found them guilty of premeditated murder, conspiracy, and fraud. The couple lured Sithebe to their home in Soshanguve on January 2, 2022, where they killed him and staged the scene by dressing him in Sibusiso’s clothes and placing his ring on the body.

Lerato falsely identified the body as her husband’s and misled authorities, preventing Sithebe’s family from recognizing him.

Lerato, who worked as a sales consultant for Old Mutual, submitted three fraudulent insurance claims amounting to R575,000, which included life, funeral, and death benefits.

The plot unraveled when Sibusiso Mahlangu was arrested in April 2023, and authorities discovered he had been declared dead.

The couple denied involvement, but compelling evidence and witness testimonies, including from Sibusiso’s mother, led to their conviction. Judge Papi Masopa found the State’s case to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and sentencing is set for November 22, 2024.