In April 2023, South African Crime Intelligence agents trailed Thabo Bester, a notorious criminal, to Tanzania, where he was apprehended along with Dr. Nandipha Magudumana and a Mozambican accomplice. The trio was reportedly en route to Kenya at the time of their arrest.
Dr. Nandipha Magudumana, romantically involved with Bester, faced significant charges according to Ronald Lamola, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services. Among the charges were aiding and abetting escape, murder, body violation, and fraud.
Bester, known as the “Facebook rapist,” was previously convicted for raping and killing his model girlfriend, Nomfundo Tyhulu, in 2012 and for raping and robbing two other women the year before.
Bester’s escape from Mangaung Correctional Center in May 2022 involved the burning of Katlego Bereng’s body in his cell, which was later confirmed through DNA testing. Investigations revealed that Bester’s death had been staged using Bereng’s body, and the actual corpse found in the cell was not Bester’s.
Upon their arrest in Tanzania, Bester and Magudumana were discovered to possess multiple passports, including two belonging to Dr. Pashy, whose real name is Mmereka Ntshani. Sekeleni, Magudumana’s father, and Matsoara were arrested on suspicion of assisting Bester in his escape and murder. Tebogo James Lipholo, a CCTV technician, faced charges of tampering with cameras on the night Bester escaped. Zanda Moyo, a Zimbabwean citizen, was arrested in Johannesburg, accused of aiding Thabo Bester’s jailbreak, and appeared in court shortly after his capture.
Bester’s lawyer, Tshireledzo Ndou, faced multiple criminal charges, including attempted sexual assault and assault. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Free State confirmed the charges, and Ndou’s court appearance is scheduled for June 21, 2023.
In a tragic turn of events, police investigator Brigadier Jackson Mkhaulesi reportedly committed suicide at his workplace. He had attended the court hearing earlier that day, where Dr. Nandipha Magudumana lost her bid to have her detention in Tanzania ruled “illegal” by the high court.
In an affidavit, Nandipha claimed to be Bester’s “customary wife.” However, the celebrity doctor is not legally allowed to marry Thabo Bester, as he lacks official identification documents. Bester’s mother, Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi, revealed that Maria Mabaso failed to file a birth certificate for her son, and Bester never requested an ID after reaching legal age. The case will proceed on June 20, 2023.
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