A man allegedly murdered for insurance money, resulting in his burial by an unrelated family, has been laid to rest once again.
Sibusiso Sithebe, the victim of the alleged scheme orchestrated by Sibusiso Mahlangu and his wife Lerato, was reburied on Sunday following the confirmation of his identity through a DNA test.
On New Year’s Day in 2022, a body was found in the remains of a house fire in Tshwane. The home belonged to the Mahlangus, and the body was wearing Mahlangu’s wedding ring. It looked like a cut-and-dried case. He had perished in the fire and his funeral was held eight days later.
But Mahlangu was not in the coffin. He was walking among his loved ones who had arrived to mourn his death. The man in the coffin was Sithebe.
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Despite the tragic circumstances, more than 1,000 people attended Sithebe’s funeral on Sunday to bid their final farewells. Dimakatso Masango, his cousin, thanked taxi operators who helped the family by providing decorations, food and transport for mourners.
She said their assistance was heartwarming, with buses and taxis carrying people to the event. At the gathering, people fondly recounted memories of Sithebe.
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Sipho Dlomo, a family friend, revealed that several DNA tests were conducted to establish his family, and the conclusive results were confirmed last week. “After receiving the results, we decided to proceed with his burial.
“We are relieved that he is finally laid to rest by his rightful family, providing us with a sense of closure,” Dlomo said.
Legal proceedings against the accused perpetrators are ongoing. Dlomo said he hoped the two would be found guilty and sentenced. The court case is scheduled for 13 September at Soshanguve Magistrate’s Court.
The alleged mastermind behind the plot, Sibusiso Mahlangu, staged his own “death” in the fire in 2022. Astonishingly, he attended his funeral in disguise, dining among the mourners.
Mahlangu and his wife, Lerato, who a funeral policy company employed, emerged as the prime suspects in Sithebe’s death.
As Sithebe’s family relentlessly searched for their missing loved one, reporting his disappearance to the police, Mahlangu continued to live under the radar after orchestrating the elaborate scheme.
Eventually, Mahlangu’s false identity was exposed when he was apprehended on 16 April while driving a stolen VW Polo in Witbank, Mpumalanga.
The police discovered Sithebe’s identification document in his possession, leading to the revelation that Mahlangu was using the identity of the dead man. He was charged with murder and obstructing justice.
In May this year, authorities exhumed Sithebe’s body to clinch the case.
