State in alleged insurance killer's case accused of sensationalising facts

JOHANNESBURG - The State in the case against alleged insurance killer Segomotsi Setshwantsho has been accused of overstating the truth and sensationalising facts.

This was the argument from Setshwanstho’s lawyers in her bid for bail.

The 49-year-old grandmother has been accused of murdering her niece for a R3 million insurance payout and falsifying her cause of death.

She is also being investigated for the murders of her husband and son.

During bail proceedings in December, the court heard how Setshwantsho allegedly made death threats to the investigating officer in the case, Sergeant Keshi Mabunda, and a Correctional Services official.

This resulted in Mabunda being escorted by Tactical Response Team (TRT) officers to court.

The State said it would be calling a witness to testify about the threats, but they have now closed their case without having led any evidence on this.

Setshwantsho’s lawyer, Nhlanhla Mahlangu, said this and the police investigations into other deaths allegedly linked to her were merely sensational.

“None of these cases emanate from 2023, 2022, 2021, [or] 2020 - these are long-existing issues.”

Meanwhile, an application has been made for the exhumation of the bodies of Setshwantsho’s son and husband, who police believe also died at her hands through poisoning.