Insurance fraudster fails to report for jail time and plans to fight on

Zolani Xego, the man who faked his own death to claim more than R3m from life policies is still a free man.

This, despite the law enforcement agencies saying that he should have handed himself over to the police on Monday.

“I’m still a free man. My lawyers have instructed me not to hand myself over. This is not a matter for the police but a matter for the correctional services and the courts.

“There is something sinister in the manner in which the matter was handled. I take instructions from my lawyers so the matter is in their hands now,” Xego said.

The Weekend Dispatch reported that Xego was supposed to have petitioned the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Bloemfontein over his conviction and sentencing. On Friday, the SCA registrar Paul Myburgh said he had no record of an appeal being lodged.

“I did check our records and the programme where all cases are recorded and there is no such application registered,” Myburgh said at the time.

East London attorneys Malusi and Co, who represent Xego, said there was no arrest warrant for their client and that they were engaging advocates to bolster their efforts in handling the case.

“The matter is being handled by us as his [Xego] lawyers and all is being handled in an appropriate manner. We’re even talking to various advocates with the intention of strengthening our case.

“Papers are being properly handled and we have advised him accordingly,” company attorney Silindukuza Ngqasa said on Monday.

Xego was arrested after taking out two life insurance policies on himself in 2005 (R1.8m) and 2006 (R1.7m).

In August 2007 he faked his death but was caught out before the claims were paid out.

He and his wife at the time, Vuyiswa Hlekiso-xego, were charged with insurance fraud and were sentenced to 15 years and community supervision respectively. Xego appealed in 2018 and had his sentence reduced to eight years, which he intended to take to the SCA.

National Prosecuting Authority provincial spokesperson Anelisa Ngcakani said the first step for Xego was to present himself to the clerk of the criminal court at the East London magistrate’s court so that he could be taken into custody.

On Monday, Ngcakani confirmed that Xego had not handed himself over as instructed and that a warrant for his arrest had been issued.

Provincial Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela said in the process of moving his case to the SCA at the time, Xego was supposed to have paid R5,000 which he still had not paid.

“The investigating officer notified him [Xego] last week that he had until today [Monday morning] to hand himself over to the law enforcement agencies and that failure to do so would lead to a warrant for his arrest,” Mgolodela said.

The matter is being handled by us as his [Xego] lawyers and all is being handled in an appropriate manner