3 more suspects to be arrested in Thabo Bester case as investigation takes new turn

Thabo Bester

Cape Town – The state has revealed that three more suspects would be arrested as part of the ongoing investigation into the Thabo Bester matter.

Nine suspects accused of aiding Bester in his prison escape appeared before the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

Bester had faked his death before escaping from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in May last year.

The suspects included Bester’s alleged girlfriend, her father, former G4S employees, and a CCTV technician.

Bester appeared in court via video link, wearing an expensive designer sweater.

His lawyers withdrew from the case, and a new lawyer was appointed.

The case was postponed to August to allow for further police investigations, including the analysis of cell phone records and witness statements.

A ninth suspect, Zanda Moyo, who was arrested in relation to Bester’s escape, appeared in court and abandoned his bid for bail.

Bester allegedly used the body of another person to fake his death before escaping from prison.


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Compiled by Betha Madhomu

 

WATCH | Thabo Bester case postponed as his lawyers pull out

Cape Town – The case against Thabo Bester, a convicted rapist and murderer, has been postponed by the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court after his two legal representatives withdrew from the case.

Speculation had been circulating that advocate Jeremiah Pela and attorney Tsireledzo Ndou would withdraw, and they confirmed this just before Bester’s appearance, Times Live reported.

Bester’s new legal representative, Kabelo Matee, confirmed that he would be representing him.

Bester will appear physically in court at the next hearing

The case involves eight co-accused facing charges such as assisting a convicted criminal to escape, tampering with a corpse, fraud, and defeating the ends of justice.

The trial has been postponed to August 8.

Bester’s girlfriend, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, who is also one of the accused, abandoned her bail bid to challenge her arrest in Tanzania.

The group is accused of aiding Bester’s escape from prison, and further arrests are expected in the case according to the national police commissioner.

The state said at least three more arrests were expected.

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Compiled by Betha Madhomu

 

Thabo Bester escape: 9 suspects back in court

Cape Town – Rapist and murderer Thabo Bester and his girlfriend, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, are set to appear in court alongside their co-accused at the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

The group is involved in an intricate prison break that occurred in May 2022.

The latest suspect, Zanda Moyo, a Zimbabwean national, was recently arrested and charged with violating a corpse, assisting an inmate to escape, and fraud.

Moyo and Magudumana allegedly claimed that an unclaimed body in the Bloemfontein mortuary belonged to Moyo’s brother, Themba Ndlovu, who was later identified as Katlego Bereng.

Bereng’s body was used as a decoy in Bester’s escape. It was later found charred in Bester’s prison cell, initially believed to be a suicide.

The investigation revealed that Bereng died from blunt-force trauma to the head.

The other co-accused individuals include former prison warder Senohe Matsoara, Magudumana’s father Zolile Cornelius Sekeleni, camera technician Teboho Lipholo, suspended G4S employees Tieho Frans Makhotsa and Natassja Jansen, and former G4S guard Buti Masukela.

Bester and Magudumana are expected to appear virtually.

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Compiled by Betha Madhomu

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