Former ANC leader Zolani Xego, who faked his own death to claim millions in life insurance, has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for fraud.
His ex-wife and co-accused Vuyelwa Hlekiso was sentenced to correctional supervision.
The sentencing comes eight months after the two were convicted on four fraud counts, and six years after first being charged.
However, Xego immediately filed for leave to appeal, which was granted. He was released on R1000 bail.
A furious Xego, speaking to the Daily Dispatch after sentence was handed down, lashed out at the magistrate.
“The signatures on those papers are those of my ex-wife, why is she walking free and I must go to jail? Rossouw’s conduct is an abuse of power, he never looked at the grounds of this case though we even applied for section 174 for this case to be dismissed,” said Xego.
Hlekiso refused to speak. “I don’t talk to the media, please leave me alone.”
The Daily Dispatch first broke Xego’s story in 2009 when he was accused of buying driver’s licences for two councillors.
Further investigations by the newspaper at the time also uncovered that Xego was being probed by the Department of Home Affairs, who had declared the politician dead on August 1 2007.
At the time he was the ANC’s ward 4 Nokhanime branch chairman in Beacon Bay.
It later emerged Xego faked his own death and his wife Hlekiso tried to get an insurance company, Discovery Life, to pay out R3.5-million in life cover he had taken out shortly before his “death”.
Delivering sentence yesterday, Rossouw said Xego was the mastermind behind the crime. He said the two maintained their innocence from the day the court case started.
Xego was found guilty on all four charges against him and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
His ex-wife was sentenced to three years in prison wholly suspended.
Rossouw said she would spend 16 hours each month over the next three years doing community work at an old-age home in Beacon Bay.
“You must not visit bars and taverns and you must be not found drinking alcohol or on drugs,” said Rossouw.
On sentencing them, Rossouw said that in the interest of society “serious crimes should be punished appropriately”.
Xego’s defence, Advocate Sakhele Poswa, appealed the sentence against Xego, arguing that Xego was not the mastermind in the case.
“Accused number 1 was harshly sentenced while his co-accused was given a lighter sentence.
“There’s no basis for the court to come to that conclusion,” said Poswa.
The state, represented by Advocate Wayne Jaftha, did not oppose the appeal and bail.
The court yesterday heard that Xego, who moved from his suburban home and now lives in Nompumelelo township in Beacon Bay, is a herbalist who occasionally travels to Mozambique to get herbs.
But Rossouw set strict bail conditions.
“The accused must report once a week to the Beacon Bay police station, hand over the passport,” said Rossouw.
In 2005 and 2006 Xego had taken out two policies with Discovery Life – one to pay out R1.8-million in the event of his death and the other R1.7-million.
In 2007, he faked his death and Hlekiso submitted a claim to Discovery Life.
But after a routine investigation the company declined to pay out the claim.
The two apparently duped their doctor, Pieter Bothma, and Home Affairs to issue a death certificate and declare him dead.
The two also received R52926 from Santam on a fraudulent claim that Hlekiso’s vehicle had been stolen when it had been taken by a friend to Mthatha on instruction from Xegoq. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za