Nurse Took Out R6m Policy On Stepdaughter — Then Killed Her 4 Months Later, Court Rules

A Durban court was left in silence on Thursday as former nurse Happiness Xulu and her ex-gardener Simon Mogale were both handed life imprisonment for the planned killing of 23-year-old Busisiwe Nxumalo, a case prosecutors say was carefully orchestrated well before her death.

The State told the court that Xulu allegedly secured about R6 million in life insurance policies on Busisiwe, her stepdaughter, just four months before the young woman’s body was found in January 2022. Mogale, a former employee in Xulu’s home, was accused of physically carrying out the murder. Both were also sentenced to an extra 28 years each for fraud tied to the insurance scheme, with those terms set to run alongside their life sentences.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Kara confirmed the outcome, saying investigators uncovered a strong financial paper trail linking Xulu to the policy payments. She added that the case demonstrated how seriously the courts treat deliberate, profit-motivated killings. The Hawks initially raised concerns after spotting irregular insurance payout attempts.

According to investigators, suspicion deepened when Xulu began filing claims only weeks after Busisiwe’s death. Subpoenaed financial records allegedly revealed a coordinated plan to benefit financially from the killing, with authorities describing Xulu and Mogale’s relationship as one where money allegedly came from her and violence from him.

Outside the courtroom, grieving relatives stood together in mourning, some dressed in black. One family member held a framed graduation photo of Busisiwe, visibly emotional as the judgment was delivered inside.

Busisiwe Nxumalo was reportedly betrayed by someone she trusted. Mogale has been sent to a maximum-security prison, while Xulu will serve her sentence at Westville Correctional Centre. Insurance companies have yet to confirm whether any payouts were made before the case was intercepted by authorities. Busisiwe’s mother, who attended every hearing, left court without addressing the media.

The case has left lingering questions about justice and how a young woman’s life was allegedly reduced to an insurance policy.

Should a caregiver who allegedly insured and plotted against her own stepdaughter face life imprisonment?

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