Cape Town – As the search for convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester continues, reports on Thursday indicated that his girlfriend, Dr Nandipha Magudumana purchased a luxury car and abandoned it on the Zimbabwean side of the border.
This comes as new details point to a plan to skip the country via the Zimbabwean border, The Citizen reported.
The report said that Magudumana bought a R1.35-million Mercedes-Benz last year. She reportedly defaulted on the payments but drove the car across the Zimbabwean border, and strangely, simply abandoned it there, before returning to South Africa on foot.
“The purchase of the vehicle, the bizarre border run, and the outstanding debt, along with other details, have been confirmed by the dealership where the vehicle was purchased,” the report said.
ALSO READ | Thabo Bester escape: G4S ‘using legal processes to buy time’
Magudumana allegedly has an outstanding debt of R700 000.
When the car dealership company could not get ahold of her, they hired private investigators to track her down and recover the outstanding money.
The report said that footage obtained from the private investigators allegedly revealed that she drove the vehicle across the Beitbridge border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe. The footage then shows the doctor walking back on foot to a nearby garage before another vehicle picked her up.
In a video shared on social media by The Citizen, which was recorded two months ago — before it emerged that Bester had escaped from prison — Magudumana is seen speaking to the private investigators while having lunch.
A very calm Magudumana can be heard telling the private investigators that a third person had an agreement with the car dealership company. She tells them she will speak to that person about the outstanding amount. When asked who that person is she refuses to mention their name.
Why did Dr Nandipha drive a R1,3 million car across the border and simply abandon it there?
And who is the mysterious person responsible for leaving her with R700k in debt for the car?
Get the latest in the Thabo Bester saga here: https://t.co/4hW1nLzkFg pic.twitter.com/H77ZQvsVcu— The Citizen News (@TheCitizen_News) April 5, 2023
Bester is on the run after escaping from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein, last year.
He was reported to have died in a fire in his single cell in May last year while serving a life sentence for the murder of one woman and rape of two models.
However, the Department of Correctional Services confirmed that Bester actually escaped from prison after an investigation revealed that the body found in his cell at the time was not his.
On Tuesday, police raided the last known residence of Bester, and Magudumana, in Hyde Park, Johannesburg.
According to Sunday World, the police started searching the couple’s multi-million rand property in Hyde Park, Johannesburg after it emerged that the body of a domestic worker was allegedly buried in the yard.
Police sources who are close to the investigation alleged that they embarked on the search operation after it appeared that the maid had disappeared, the report said.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
‘We’ll find Thabo Bester, we’re getting good close’ – Cele
Cape Town – Police Minister Bheki Cele says there may be a breakthrough soon in the case of Facebook rapist and murderer Thabo Bester.
Speaking on eNCA’s Power to Truth, Cele said police were “getting good close”.
“We are chasing Bester for the second time as the police but we will find Bester, we are getting good close,” Cele said.
Cele’s remarks come after police on Tuesday raided the last known residence of Bester and his partner, Doctor Nandipha Magudumana, in Hyde Park, Johannesburg.
According to Sunday World, the police started searching the couple’s multi-million rand property in Hyde Park, Johannesburg after it emerged that the body of a domestic worker was allegedly buried in the yard.
Police sources who are close to the investigation alleged that they embarked on the search operation after it appeared that the maid had disappeared, the report said.
ALSO READ | WATCH | EFF slams minister for ‘laughing’ during interview about Thabo Bester
“We are doing this operation to establish the fact that the maid went missing. We are following all the leads in this regard.
“We have sniffer dogs and our forensic team working on this, and even on Wednesday we are still going to investigate,” the report quoted one of the police sources as saying.
EWN reported that the forensic investigators meticulously went about their business at the premises on 2nd Road in Hyde Park, photographing parts of the property while hauling out large plastic bags, filled with evidence, and loading them into state vehicles.
“As the SAPS, we are reiterating that we won’t at this stage give a blow-by-blow update on the progress of investigations. We once again urge the media to give the detectives space to do their work,” the report quoted police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe as saying.
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‘I don’t feel safe’ – Thabo Bester’s mom is living in fear
Cape Town – Maria Mabaso, the mother of convicted murderer and rapist, Thabo Bester, says she is living in fear since the news broke that her son had escaped from prison.
Bester is on the run after escaping from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein, last year.
He was reported to have died in a fire in his single cell in May last year while serving a life sentence for the murder of one woman and rape of two models.
However, the Department of Correctional Services confirmed that Bester actually escaped from prison after an investigation revealed that the body found in his cell at the time was not his.
It was his mother’s DNA that confirmed the body found in Bester’s cell wasn’t him.
Mabaso told eNCA during an interview on Wednesday that she has been receiving death threats.
“I don’t feel safe because I get phone calls from different people every day. I don’t know who to trust. At the end of the day, these people have my address. When I see cars stopping at the gate, I get scared that it’s someone who is coming to kill me,” she said.
She said her son grew up under the care of his grandmother, as she (Mabaso) had to go to work.
ALSO READ | Thabo Bester was dressed in warder uniform during escape – reports
She said she has been in a state of depression following the news that her son is one of South Africa’s most wanted, EWN reported.
Mabaso said she is struggling to sleep and has been on medication to help her cope with what Bester has put her through, adding that she suffered “a stroke”, the report said.
On Tuesday, police raided the last known residence of Bester, and his partner, Doctor Nandipha Magudumana, in Hyde Park, Johannesburg.
Forensic investigators meticulously went about their business at the premises on 2nd Road in Hyde Park, photographing parts of the property while hauling out large plastic bags, filled with evidence, and loading them into state vehicles.
“As the SAPS, we are reiterating that we won’t at this stage give a blow-by-blow update on the progress of investigations. We once again urge the media to give the detectives space to do their work,” the report quoted police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe as saying.
Meanwhile, MPs were left enraged on Tuesday after G4S, the security company managing the Mangaung prison, failed to show up at a portfolio committee on justice and correctional services meeting to discuss the events that led to the escape.
G4S claimed it was not issued an invitation to take part in the meeting by the Department of Justice and Correctional Services, Times Live reported.
The company said it had been fully co-operative with various investigations by relevant authorities since 3 May 2022 and would continue to do so, the report said.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
