Police in North West province, South Africa, have uncovered an insurance fraud-related murder, after a 62-year-old was arrested for allegedly feeding poisoned pies to three members of his family, including his own son.
The three deaths took place over a period of three years after the accused, Daniel Mokwai offered them pies laced with poison.
The police said all three deceased – including his 31-year-old son – had initially been thought to have died from natural causes.
North West police spokesperson, Colonel Adéle Myburgh said Mokwai made insurance claims on all three deceased. She said the bodies of all three deceased were exhumed and pathology reports confirmed that they were poisoned, leading to the murder investigations.
In the first incident, reported on Saturday, December 5, 2020, a boy, 16, died after eating the pie given to him. He was a relative of the accused’s wife. He died at midday between Phuduhudu and Gopane, close to Bloemhof.
A year later, on December 1, 2021, another relative of the accused’s wife died at night in Boitumelong township, outside of Bloemhof. The boy, aged 16, also d!ed after eating a pie bought by the accused.
The third case involved the accused’s son, Mothibi Alpheos Mokwai, 31, who died on Sunday, October 9, 2022, after eating a pie at his house in Matthysse Street, Bloemhof.
Mokwai was arrested on Monday and subsequently appeared in the Bloemhof Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. He was charged with three murders.
The court remanded him in custody until Wednesday, September 4. The postponement was to allow for him to get legal representation.
“In all three cases, the accused successfully claimed from his insurance policies. However, family members reported him to the police after becoming suspicious that he murdered their relatives by allegedly buying all three of them pies. They would then get sick after eating the pie and eventually died,” said Myburgh.
