The trial of 10 accused in a multimillion-rand insurance murder case in Limpopo has been postponed after one of the accused died in custody.

State prosecutor Advocate David Sebelebele told the Polokwane High Court today, Monday that accused number six, William Shokane, died on 19 September.

Shokane was last seen in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on 18 August, when he appeared in a wheelchair. His lawyer, Mashudu Kwinda, had told the court that he was suffering from an airborne disease.

His death leaves 10 accused in the case, which involves allegations that vulnerable people were insured and later killed so that insurance claims could be made.

The trial was due to start on Monday but was postponed to 29 October because of a conflict of interest involving the Legal Aid representation of some of the accused. The issue must be resolved through the judicare process before the trial can proceed.

Former police sergeant Rachel Shokane Kutumela, her daughter Flora Shokane and her sister Anna Shokane remain in custody. The State has identified them as alleged masterminds of the scheme. Other accused include members of the Shokane family and others who are out on bail.

The State alleges that insurance policies were taken out on vulnerable people, including relatives, between 2013 and 2024, with claims later made following their deaths.

The accused face 54 charges, including nine counts of murder, fraud, money laundering, receiving proceeds of unlawful activities and defeating the ends of justice. The alleged insurance payouts linked to the killings have been reported at about R10 million, while some reports put the total value of claims, including repudiated claims, at about R21 million.

The matter returns to the Polokwane High Court on 29 October.

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