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Brothers Jailed After Stabbing Disabled Uncle 42 Times for R30k Funeral Policy
South Africa has seen its share of financial crimes, but few cases have shaken a community quite like the murder of 54-year-old Pule Isaac Maobisa. His killers were not strangers or criminals who targeted him randomly. They were his own nephews, men he trusted, who turned on him for a funeral policy worth only R30 000.
It was a crime that prosecutors described as cold and calculated. The Winburg Regional Court has now sentenced the brothers whose actions left a family traumatised and a community horrified.
A Plot Born in Greed
According to the National Prosecuting Authority, the plan started quietly in August 2019. The brothers, Mojalefa and Masopha Maobisa, took out a funeral insurance policy in their uncle’s name. The premium had barely been paid when the scheme turned deadly.
On 19 October that same year, they travelled from Bloemfontein to Winburg with a knife and a plan. They coerced a friend into joining them, forcing him to help them get inside their uncle’s home. What happened next left investigators stunned.
Once inside, they attacked their disabled uncle with brutal force. He was stabbed 42 times. The neighbour who heard his screams immediately called the police. Officers later said it was one of the most horrific scenes they had ever encountered.
An Attempt to Claim the Money
With their uncle dead, the brothers moved quickly. They tried to claim the R30 000 insurance payout and then turned on the friend they had dragged into their crime. When he tried to pull away from them, they attacked him as well. This frightening encounter pushed him to run for help and report everything to the police.
That decision changed the entire direction of the case.
Evidence That Could Not Be Ignored
Warrant Officer Smit led the investigation and pieced together a compelling case. Cellphone records, bank statements, and the fraudulent policy all pointed straight at the brothers. The friend’s testimony filled in the remaining gaps and helped secure their convictions.
Prosecutor Marlies Nel described the murder as premeditated and driven purely by greed. During sentencing, the court heard two Victim Impact Statements that detailed the emotional damage inflicted on the family and the wider community.
A Disturbing National Pattern
The National Prosecuting Authority warned that there is a worrying rise in cases where people take out insurance policies on relatives with the intention of killing them. They called it a disturbing trend that shows a loss of respect for human life in the pursuit of easy money.
This case is not isolated. In Limpopo, police recently arrested a fourth suspect linked to a R10 million insurance murder and fraud scheme involving former police officer Rachel Kutumela and her relatives. Several family members in that case are already behind bars after being denied bail.
A Community Still Searching for Healing
While justice has been served in Winburg, the emotional scars remain. Pule Maobisa was known as a vulnerable man who depended on family for support. His death has raised painful questions in the community about trust and the way financial motives can destroy families.
This case leaves South Africans asking difficult questions about desperation, greed, and the growing exploitation of funeral insurance for criminal gain. It is a reminder of how easily financial pressure and moral decay can lead to tragedy, even within a family.
Also read: A Crisis of Care: Over 7,300 Patients Harmed in Johannesburg’s Public Hospitals
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Source: The Citizen
Featured Image: The Daily Jagran
