Woman Who Hired Neighbour as Hitman to Kill Uncle for Insurance payout, Sentenced to 26 Years in Prison

37-year-old Nompelo Maloyi was sentenced to 26 years in prison for hiring her neighbor to murder her uncle in order to cash in on insurance policies. The High Court of South Eastern Cape Division delivered the sentence alongside that of 35-year-old Yithulwazi “Lwazi” Kay, who was also given a 26-year jail term.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) reported that the two were found guilty of murdering 66-year-old Mynhardt Maloyi. The victim’s body was discovered in his home on Henry Street in Graaff-Reinet, bearing multiple stab wounds to his upper body.

Evidence presented in court revealed that Nompelo, who was the niece of the victim and the beneficiary of several insurance policies amounting to R165,000, had orchestrated the crime. She had promised Kay a fee of R20,000 for his involvement in the murder.

On the night of the murder, which occurred on November 25, 2022, Nompelo left her child with another neighbor before accompanying Kay, who was armed with a knife, to Mynhardt’s home. Acting as his primary caregiver, she ensured they had access to the house. Once inside, the pair bound Mynhardt’s hands and feet with shoelaces, struck him with a blunt object, and stabbed him multiple times in the neck, ultimately causing his death.

After the crime, Nompelo feigned concern and asked a neighbor to check on her uncle, claiming she was delivering groceries. The body was discovered the following morning. Shortly thereafter, Nompelo attempted to claim the insurance money but was soon implicated in the crime when Kay began to threaten her over the incomplete payment of his promised fee.

In a desperate bid to silence him, Nompelo sought help to eliminate Kay or to secure the balance of the promised payment.

The prosecution sought a life sentence for both defendants, but the court determined that mitigating factors warranted a lesser sentence. The NPA plans to appeal the ruling, arguing that the sentences were inappropriately lenient. Barry Madolo, the Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, commended the prosecution team and emphasized the seriousness of premeditated murder for financial gain, highlighting a troubling trend across the nation.