Police probe wider reach in Kutumela insurance murder scheme

Police say they are not ruling out the possibility that former police officer, Rachel Kutumela’s, alleged insurance scheme may have been operating in other provinces.

Six people, including Kutumela’s husband, two brothers and a sangoma, were arrested in Limpopo on Tuesday.

This brings the number of suspects in custody to ten, including Kutumela, her daughter, sister and older brother.

Kutumela, who was stationed at Senwabarwana Police Station, is accused of masterminding a chilling insurance fraud scheme between 2013 and 2022.

It is alleged that Kutumela and her sister fraudulently took out life and funeral insurance policies for several victims, subsequently claiming R10 million as beneficiaries.

The payouts were made by several service providers, including ABSA, Standard Bank, Capitec, Hollard, Assupol, Old Mutual, One Life, and Clientele.

They face 32 charges, including murder, fraud and money laundering. Kutumela’s daughter is being held for allegedly receiving the proceeds of unlawful activities and defeating the ends of justice.

National police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, says the alleged money-making scheme appeared to operate like a family business, where people were killed for insurance payouts.

“It’s quite evil. I don’t think they  should be regarded as human beings because I don’t think human beings can do such to other human beings.”

Mathe says one suspect in the Kutumela case is still at large.

“If he does not hand himself over, we’re then going to be circulating his picture out to the media to assist  us to find him because we do believe that these are people that shouldn’t be roaming freely on the streets of South Africa.

“If they can kill their own family members, if they can kill close relatives and, you know, underprivileged people for the sole purpose of cashing out on insurance and your life policies, your policies and so on,” she added.

Mathe also called on financial institutions to put measures in place to prevent such crimes.

“We are making a call as well to the banks and the insurance companies to say, put measures in place so that you are able to flag such activities taking place,” she said. “Because now we are talking about a total of ten bodies. There may be more.

“You know, we can’t get to a situation where we are counting ten bodies. Already by the second or third body, we should have had  something that is flagging that this individual is, you know, benefiting from or regularly, you know, receiving these cash payouts from these institutions.”

#sapsHQ [LIMPOPO TAKEDOWN] Police are executing seven warrant of arrests in relation to a R10 million insurance murder for payout scheme today in Limpopo.

The arrests are linked to former police Sergeant Rachel Kutumela. All suspects are believed to have taken out life and… pic.twitter.com/W3uUXg4NWY

— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) March 10, 2026