Snl24 | Shocking betrayal: Nurse ‘stole’ my child

Sithembile Xulu and Simon Mogale have dumped their lawyer during their bail application. Photo by News24

AN ALLEGED bloody family affair has overshadowed the case against killer nurse Sithembile Xulu (48), who is accused of murdering a 21-year-old domestic worker.

Slain Busiswa Nxumalo was not only a domestic worker but also an alleged distant relative of Xulu.

Xulu allegedly enticed her to Gauteng in 2021 with promises of a good life and a perfect job, only for her body to be found on 18 January 2022 near a rubbish dump site, half-naked with a slit throat.

These revelations were made by Tholakele Nxumalo, Busiswa’s mum in the Lenasia Magistrates Court on Friday, 2 August where she patiently waited to finally confront Xulu.

An emotional Tholakele, who travelled nearly six hours from Nongoma in KZN, said this was going to be the first time seeing Xulu since she had been informed of her child’s death.

“I want to look at her. I want to face the woman who has been on the news and linked to the murder of my child. I want to ask her why she [allegedly] killed her,” Tholakele said.

A Tainted Family Affair:

Reflecting on the past, Tholakele mentioned she had never wanted her child to move to Joburg, let alone stay with Xulu, as they were never close while growing up.

“The only reason Xulu knew my daughter was because when I gave birth to Busiswa, I fell ill with TB, and my mum decided that she should live with the Xulu family. This was where she was raised,” Tholakele said.

She recounted how she had repeatedly denied Xulu permission to take Busiswa to Gauteng, but Xulu never heeded her wishes. Communication became even more strained when she was barred from even speaking to Busiswa.

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“I never spoke to my daughter. She left home in September 2021, and that was the last time I saw her. I tried my best to communicate, but one day a random man called and told me never to call her number as there was an [alleged] protection order against me,” she said.

A Death Call

Like the rest of the family, Tholakele learned of Busiswa’s death through a phone call from Xulu, who claimed their child had died from a mob justice attack after she was allegedly caught stealing in Lenasia South.

“My daughter was never a criminal. She was an obedient child who had beautiful dreams. Those dreams have now been shattered. I’ll never see her beautiful smile again. I’ll never hear her soft voice again. My firstborn child, for whom I had high hopes for her future, was brutally killed [allegedly] by someone who wanted to be rich,” she said.

According to Tholakele, Xulu didn’t attend Busiswa’s funeral or contribute financially, except for giving them R500 for petrol to transport the body from Gauteng to KZN, leaving them to drown in debt as they begged for money from neighbours and friends.

Postponement

Xulu appeared in court alongside her co-accused Simon Mogale, a 37-year-old gardener, for the much-awaited bail application.

The two have been charged with the murder of the 21-year-old domestic worker in an alleged scheme to claim R6 million. However, the matter was postponed to Thursday, 8 August as the recording system were not functional.

“We’re in a court with no working facilities – we try and do what we can, given the circumstances. Unfortunately, it affects not only this bail application. Fortunately for us, we have another court that will be available on 8 August for us to go there and sit,” Magistrate Syfred Mati said.

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