Cape Town – The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has reportedly withdrawn the murder charge against Thabo Bester, his lover Nandipha Magudumana and their co-accused.
According to Times Live, this was revealed Wednesday.
Two former G4S employees, who were arrested by police on Monday, appeared in the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court alongside Magudumana, as well as former G4S employees Senohe Matsoara, Buti Masukela and CCTV technician, Teboho Lipholo.
The group were initially charged with murder after it was revealed the charred body found in Bester’s prison cell was that of Katlego Junior Mpholo.
Bester escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein on 3 May 2022 when he faked his death in a fire.
He was recaptured and arrested in Tanzania in April.
He is currently being held at Kgosi Mampuru II Prison in Pretoria, and is due back in the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court on 16 May.
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News24 reported that none of the individuals accused of aiding Bester to escape from prison faced a murder charge anymore.
Mpholo’s body was used to orchestrate what is believed to have been one of the most elaborate prison escapes in South African history.
The state withdrew the murder charge against Magudumana’s father, Zolile Cornelius Sekeleni, on April 17.
Reports said that the bail application for Magudumana and her co-accused was postponed to 11 and 12.
The judge, Motlholo Khabisa, said it only made sense to postpone the matter for all parties to be prepared, eNCA reported.
“It is clear that the duration of this bail application cannot be guaranteed,” the report quoted Khabisa as saying.
Meanwhile, EWN quoted the family of Mpholo as saying that granting the accused bail would be a great injustice.
Mpholo’s aunt, Mojabeng Ralilateng said that the accused should stay behind bars.
“We don’t want her to get bail, she must stay in jail, she belongs there because they want to go outside while we are mourning here for what they did to our son,” the report quoted Ralilateng as saying.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
