By Anita Dangazele
- Uncle Jackson Bushula was accused of taking out insurance policies on his nephew’s life, then hiring hitmen to kill him.
- Police say insurance payouts would have doubled because of the violent death, giving the uncle a bigger motive for murder.
An uncle is accused of planning his own nephew’s murder to cash in on a massive insurance payout.
Police say Jackson Bushula hired hitmen to kill his 26-year-old nephew Siwaphiwe Bushula after taking out policies on his life worth millions of rands.
Nine suspects, including the alleged hitman and the uncle, have been arrested and appeared in court in the Eastern Cape.
Siwaphiwe was gunned down by unknown men in his village of Jamani in the Daligubha area on 28 December 2024.
Acting provincial police commissioner Major General Thandiswa Kupiso praised investigators for their “dedication and meticulous work” in cracking the family betrayal case.
Police say the alleged mastermind, 59-year-old Jackson Bushula, took out insurance policies on his nephew’s life, then recruited killers from Welkom, where he lives, to carry out the murder.
Investigators believe the insurance payouts would have doubled because the death was violent, giving the uncle even more motive for the brutal killing.
The suspects were arrested in Thabong, Welkom, between 10 and 13 June 2025.
They all appeared in the Libode Magistrate’s Court and were released on bail on 26 June 2025. Their next court date is set for 3 October 2025.
The alleged hitman, 42-year-old Thandikhaya Mazule, is still behind bars. His case was postponed to 22 July 2025 for his bail hearing.
The other suspects named by police are Malibongwe Nokweza, 40, Nomvula Manise, 48, Nomveliso Nqetho, 51, Vuyisile Wiso, 45, Lisa Wiso, 51, Alex Manise, 23, and Asherley Sigwela, 34.
Major General Kupiso said, “This case highlights the SAPS’s relentless pursuit of justice, particularly concerning crimes motivated by greed and exploitation of social benefit systems.”
The investigation is ongoing as police try to uncover the full conspiracy behind the family murder plot.
Pictured above: A police vehicle.
Image source: File
