WATCH | Katlego Mpholo laid to rest

Thabo Bester

Cape Town – Katlego Mpholo, whose burnt body was used as a stand-in corpse in Thabo Bester’s prison escape, was laid to rest on Sunday in Bloemfontein.

Bester escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein on 3 May 2022 when he faked his death in a fire.

Katlego’s remains were identified after DNA results matched with his mother.

He went missing since March last year.

Loved ones gathered in Bloemfontein as the burnt remains of the 32-year-old were laid to rest.

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Compiled by Betha Madhomu

 

Thabo Bester escape: Katlego Mpholo to be laid to rest

Cape Town – Katlego Mpholo, whose body was found in the prison cell of murderer and rapist Thabo Bester, is set to be laid to rest on Sunday in Bloemfontein.

His body was used as a decoy in Bester’s Mangaung prison escape last year.

A post-mortem confirmed that Katlego died due to blunt force trauma to the head.

“It’s one of those days where you ask yourself is it real?… But as hard as it is, we put everything in God’s hands… We will be happy to lay him to rest and we are praying for strength so that we can go through this,” Katlego’s father Batho Mpholo told Newzroom Afrika.

The deceased’s aunt, Poppie Bereng, told SABC that the family will only find closure when justice is served.

“As the family of Katlego, it was difficult, we are freezing with shock although we really wanted to see these people. On this very day a year ago, it was when Katlego’s body was burned in a cell while he was not even a prisoner or an inmate. It was a devastating feeling to us, you ask yourself how can someone be so heartless. And all we want as a family as we are preparing for the funeral, we need closure. We need somebody to account and give us answers,” she said. 

Meanwhile, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed on Thursday that it withdrew a murder charge against Bester, his partner Dr Nandipha Magudumana, and their co-accused.“The NPA confirms it will no longer prefer a charge of murder against the accused in the Thabo Bester case after further evidence was presented by the investigating team.

“At this early stage, prosecutors can only bring charges based on the evidence presented by the investigators,” TimesLIVE  quotedb NPA spokesperson Phaladi Shuping as saying.

Bester, Magudumana, her father Zolile Cornelius Sekeleni, Senohe Matsoara, Teboho Lipholo, Buty Masemola, Tieho Makhotsa and Nastassja Jansen also faced other charges, including fraud, aiding and abetting a convict to escape custody, corruption and defeating the ends of justice.

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Compiled by Betha Madhomu

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