A chilling and heartbreaking incident has left a community reeling after a young woman, Nontobeko Gule, allegedly poisoned her grandmother and cousin in a shocking attempt to cash in on an insurance payout.
The harrowing event unfolded when Nontobeko, who is the daughter of the grandmother’s sister, visited her family for what appeared to be a friendly winter get-together. According to the grandmother, who narrowly survived the ordeal, Nontobeko arrived in good spirits and spent the day with them, acting as though it were a normal family visit.
As she prepared to leave, Nontobeko offered them four oranges and a R1000 cash gift. She claimed the oranges were meant to help strengthen their immune systems against the winter flu, a gesture that was warmly received and appreciated. Nothing seemed out of place at the time.
After Nontobeko left, the grandmother and the young cousin, who lives with her, sat down to eat the oranges. However, shortly after consuming them, both began to experience severe stomach pain and symptoms of poisoning. The young boy, despite his pain, managed to crawl out of the house and seek help from neighbours.
The neighbours acted quickly, rushing the pair to the hospital. Upon arrival, medical staff took blood samples and confirmed that the two had ingested a poisonous substance. The boy was able to recount that the last thing they ate were the oranges Nontobeko had brought.
Police were immediately alerted, and an investigation led officers to search the house where they found the remaining poisoned oranges. Forensic analysis confirmed the presence of poison in the fruit.
Authorities tracked down Nontobeko and brought her in for questioning. Under pressure, she eventually confessed to injecting poison into the oranges with the intention of killing her grandmother and cousin in order to claim insurance money. It was later discovered that she had secretly taken out insurance policies in their names—without their knowledge.
The community is both stunned and horrified by the betrayal. The grandmother, deeply shaken, told reporters that she had no idea her niece had insured her life, let alone plotted her death. “I trusted her like my own grandchild,” she said through tears.
Police have since arrested Nontobeko, and she remains in custody. She is expected to appear in court next week to face charges of attempted murder and insurance fraud.
The case has ignited widespread outrage and raised concerns over the misuse of funeral and life insurance policies. Community leaders are now calling for stricter regulations and more thorough checks to prevent similar incidents.
What was supposed to be a warm family visit ended in betrayal, near-tragedy, and a painful lesson about the dangers of misplaced trust.
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