PHUTI MOSOMANE
CONVICTED rapist and murderer Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana, who fled South Africa and were arrested in Tanzania, have now been brought back to South Africa.
The fugitives arrived at the Lanseria International Airport, north of Johannesburg, on Thursday morning under heavy police guard.
The couple fled South Africa in March. However, they were arrested over the weekend in the border town of Arusha, Tanzania.
According to authorities, Bester has been taken to the Kgosi Mampuru II C-Max Prison in Pretoria, while Magudumana was whisked away to another prison in Johannesburg before she was transported to the Free State Province where she is expected to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
She is facing charges for several crimes, including aiding and abetting the escape of a convicted prisoner from lawful custody, possession of multiple murdered bodies, and committing fraud.
Bester, a high-profile convicted murderer and rapist, is accused of faking his own death in a fire, then escaping the Mangaung prison to live in the open with Magudumana.
Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola confirmed the couple had returned to South Africa.
“We can confirm that these fugitives have been returned to South Africa. Mr Thabo Bester has been re-admitted into the Kgosi Mampuru Central Maximum correctional facility and Dr Nandipha Magudumana is under arrest, pending her first court appearance,” Lamola said.
Lamola, and Police Minister, General Bheki Cele, expressed their gratitude to the government of Tanzania for “its unequivocal cooperation in the arrest and deportation process of Thabo Bester and Dr. Nandipha Magudumana.”
“We are grateful to all the role players seized with this matter thus far, including State agencies and members of the public who have shared information that has assisted in the detention of the two fugitives, following an extensive manhunt. Thus far, there is considerable progress with a number of arrests being effected.”
Magudumana is a successful medical doctor and businesswoman who has gained a significant following of over 100,000 on social media.
She regularly shares posts that showcase her glamorous lifestyle, promote her media appearances, and highlight her various accolades, including her recognition as one of Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans of 2018.
Bester was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 for the rape and murder of model Nomfundo Tyhulu. He was initially reported to have died in a fire at the Mangaung prison last May.
But in November, the official position by the Department of Correctional Services that Bester had been found dead in his cell began to unravel after GroundUp’s reporting raised doubts.
Police have seized a white porsche believed to belong to wanted suspect, Nandipha Magudumana. The driver, a 28yr male is currently in custody. Another suspect has been arrested in BFN, he is an employee contracted to a company that installs and maintains cameras @Mangaung prison. pic.twitter.com/LmzcY8O3G3
— Athlenda Mathe (@AthlendaM) April 12, 2023
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