Cape Town – The case against two men accused of aiding and abetting convicted murderer Thabo Bester who escaped from Mangaung Correctional Centre last year has been postponed.
The pair, Dr Nandipha Magudumana’s father Zolile Sekeleni, 65, and former G4S employee Senohe Matsoara, 39, appeared briefly on Tuesday in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on charges of murder, defeating the ends of justice, fraud and arson.
They were remanded in custody until their next appearance on 17 April 2023 for bail proceedings.
JUST IN: Dr Nandipha’s dad, Cornelius Sekeleni & former G4S warden Senohe Matsoara appeared in the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court on Tues in connection with the Thabo Bester escape saga. They face charges of arson, defeating ends of justice & fraudhttps://t.co/Dblfzg5rjQ pic.twitter.com/1uJJs0Hm1P
— BEAST OF NEWS (@BEAST_OF_NEWS) April 11, 2023
The pair was not asked to plead.
Matsoara was arrested at his home in Bloemfontein on Saturday, 8 April 2023, while Sekeleni was arrested on Friday, 7 April 2023, in Port Edward, KwaZulu-Natal.
G4S is the company that was contracted to provide security and run the Mangaung prison from which Bester escaped.
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PICS | Duo in court for aiding and abetting Thabo Bester to escape from custody
Cape Town – A former G4S employee, 39, and a 65-year-old man appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday in connection with Thabo Bester’s escape from prison.
They are both facing charges of aiding and abetting a prisoner’s escape from custody.
Police on Monday confirmed that one of the suspects is Dr Nandipha Magudumana’s father.
According to police national spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, a multi-disciplinary team investigating Bester’s escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre arrested the duo at the weekend.
Mathe said the former G4S employee was arrested at his residence in Bloemfontein on Saturday, 8 April 2023, while the 65-year-old man was arrested on Friday, 7 April 2023, at his home in Port Edward, KwaZulu-Natal.
“Both suspects have been charged with aiding and abetting a convicted prisoner to escape from lawful custody,” the statement read.
G4S is a multinational security company that operated and partly-owned Mangaung Correctional Centre, where Bester was incarcerated.
GroundUp recently broke the story about the escape of rapist and murderer Bester in May 2022.
[IN IMAGES]
Dr Nandipha Magudumana’s father, Cornelius Sekeleni & former G4S prison warden, Senohe Matsoara who appeared in a Bloemfontein Court on charges of aiding and abetting the escape of convict #ThaboBester.
Pics credit ? @AphumeleleMdla2#sabcnews pic.twitter.com/ts7rFjQNvh— Chriselda Zozi Lewis (Babes Wendaba) (@Chriseldalewis) April 11, 2023
The fugitive Bester, his girlfriend Dr Nandipha Magudumana and a third person believed to be a Mozambican national were arrested on Friday night in Tanzania, close to the Kenyan border.
Mathe announced that a delegation led by the SAPS Deputy National Commissioner responsible for Policing, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, has arrived in Arusha, Tanzania.
“The team is currently engaged with their Tanzanian counterparts to finalise all legal processes required towards bringing escapee Thabo Bester and his accomplices to justice in South Africa.”
The National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola, according to the spokesperson, has welcomed the latest arrests and said the possibility of more arrests could not be ruled out.
The 65-year-old is believed to be Magudumana’s father.
“General Masemola has again reiterated the appeal to media and the public to exercise patience and allow the investigators the space to conduct the investigations with no undue pressure and expectation.”
ALSO READ | WATCH | Thabo Bester cover-up: Nandipha Magudumana claimed three dead bodies, says Cele
The Correctional Services National Commissioner, Makgothi Thobakgale, announced last month the appointment of a Temporary Manager for the correctional facility.
According to the Correctional Services’ findings following their investigation, Bester was assisted to escape from lawful custody on 3 May 2022, yet the contractor maintains that he died in his cell.
Thobakgale said a private vehicle was allowed inside the facility without a gate pass on the day of the escape, possibly carrying an unknown body that was burnt beyond recognition in his cell.
“Tampering with surveillance cameras points to a failed monitoring system deliberately orchestrated to conceal crucial evidence and individuals who aided Bester to escape.
“This is also a failure to guarantee safe custody of inmates and a breach in terms of the responsibilities allocated to the contractor,” Thobakgale said at a media briefing in March.
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Thabo Bester prison escape: More arrests expected, police say
Cape Town -Police say more arrests are expected in the prison break of captured fugitive Thabo Bester, following the arrest of two suspects over the weekend.
In the latest breakthrough, police arrested a former G4S employee and a 65-year-old man from the Eastern Cape linked to Bester’s escape.
National police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said national police commissioner, General Fannie Maselo welcomed the arrests and confirmed that the possibility of more arrests could not be ruled out.
“General Masemola has again reiterated the appeal to media and the public to exercise patience and allow the investigators the space to conduct the investigations with no undue pressure and expectation,” said Mathe.
ALSO READ | Security company accused of hiding Bester whistleblowers’ letter
The captured fugitive and his accomplice girlfriend, Dr Nandipha Magudumana were arrested on Friday in Tanzania along with a Mozambican national.
Their arrest was followed by Dr Magudumana’s father who was arrested along with three other suspects on Saturday.
Bester was believed to have died after setting himself on fire behind bars, but in late March police said DNA tests revealed the charred remains found in his cell belonged to someone else.
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe