Husband Watches Own Funeral on Facebook After Killing Wife’s Lover in Twisted Insurance Scam
A shocking case has emerged from South Africa, where a man watched his own funeral on Facebook after murdering his wife’s lover and assuming his identity as part of an elaborate insurance scam. The Pretoria High Court heard disturbing details of how Sibusiso Mahlangu and his wife, Lerato, plotted and executed the crime to claim a life insurance payout.
A Murder, a Fake Identity, and a Funeral
Sibusiso Mahlangu confessed to killing his wife’s lover, Sibusiso Sithebe, in January 2022. The court heard how Lerato lured Sithebe to her home, where Mahlangu murdered him before setting the body on fire.
Mahlangu and Lerato then passed off the charred remains as those of Mahlangu. Lerato officially identified the body, secured a death certificate in her husband’s name, and claimed R575,000 in life insurance.
The chilling twist? Mahlangu, now officially “dead,” watched his own funeral unfold on Facebook as his unsuspecting family mourned him.
Insurance Payout and Life in Hiding
After securing the payout, the couple fled to Mpumalanga. They reportedly travelled only at night to avoid detection. Mahlangu received R150,000 from the insurance money and used part of it to buy a car worth R200,000.
Lerato detailed how the money was split:
“I opened an account under one of his daughters’ names and then took my share. I gave him a card with R150,000. He told me he had found a car online and we bought it from a Pretoria dealership for R200,000.”
The car was registered under Lerato’s name since she used her licence for the purchase. She did not disclose how the rest of the money was spent.
‘Call Me Angel’ – Hiding in Plain Sight
To avoid detection, Mahlangu allegedly instructed his daughters to call him ‘Angel’ instead of ‘Daddy.’
Lerato told the court:
“He told our kids to start calling him Angel so that relatives wouldn’t recognise him when they spoke about him. He also told them he was away protecting them from people who wanted to attack him.”
On Tuesday, Mahlangu finally admitted his crimes in court.
“I take full responsibility. I am the one who committed the crime and I am really sorry to the family of Sithebe. I am not proud of what I have done.”
The sentencing was postponed to 12 February after Lerato’s lawyer, Ledile Mphela, was unavailable for proceedings.