Charmaine Bila, a 38-year-old woman from North West, faces court appearances this week on charges related to the alleged insurance payout murders of her cousin and father, and the attempted murder of her cousin’s boyfriend.
Charmaine Bila: NW woman accused of killing father and cousin for insurance
Bila made appearances in both the Stilfontein and Klerksdorp magistrate’s courts, facing grave accusations. She is charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
These charges relate to the deaths of her cousin, Sandy Maleshane, and her father, Thys Safatsa, as well as the attempted murder of Maleshane’s boyfriend.
Bila was arrested on Friday, 17 November 2023 after an intense investigation by the North West Anti-Gang Unit.
Her arrest followed the shooting of Maleshane and her boyfriend in Khuma on Heritage Day, allegedly by hired hitmen. While Maleshane was declared dead at the scene, her boyfriend survived and sought medical treatment.
Police investigations also linked Bila to the death of her father, Thys Safatsa. Initially treated as an arson case, further investigation revealed that Safatsa’s death was also for an insurance claim.
The inquest docket was subsequently changed to murder. Bila allegedly claimed a combined R320 000 following the deaths of Safatsa and Maleshane.
Bila is scheduled to appear in the Stilfontein Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 6 December 2023 for a bail application concerning her father’s death. Following this, she will face the Klerksdorp Magistrate’s Court a day later on charges of murder and attempted murder.