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South Africa

Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana back in SA and behind bars

Magudumana charged with murder and violation of bodies and is due in court on Thursday.
Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana back in SA and behind bars Flight Falcon 900B on its way to Lanseria airport carrying Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana.Photo:Screenshot
Daniel Steyn and Marecia Damons
By Daniel Steyn and Marecia Damons
13 Apr 2023
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In a press conference in Cape Town on Thursday, the Ministers of Justice and Police confirmed that murderer and rapist Thabo Bester and his accomplice Nandipha Magudumana have been successfully brought back to South Africa after being arrested in Tanzania on the weekend.

Bester escaped from Mangaung Correctional Centre in May 2022. Several other people have so far been arrested in relation to his escape. These include an official who was on duty the day of the escape, Senohe Matsoara, and Magudumana’s father, Zolile Sekeleni, and an Integritron CCTV technician, Tebogo Lipholo.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Damning timeline — Government knew of Thabo Bester escape as early as October 2022 but failed to act

Police Minister Bheki Cele said that Magudumana cooperated with authorities in Tanzania, but Bester was not cooperative. Bester is currently held at Kgosi Mampuru prison, a C-Max prison in Pretoria, and Magudumana is expected to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court on Thursday. Bester is under 24/7 surveillance.

Magudumana will be charged with aiding and abetting escape, murder, the violation of bodies, and fraud. Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said that Magudumana had at some point been in possession of several dead bodies.




While Bester was in prison, Magudumana visited him frequently. After Bester faked his death in a prison cell fire, Magudumana collected the body found in Bester’s cell and claimed Bester’s possessions from the prison.

Flight Falcon 900B on its way to Lanseria airport carrying Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana. Photo:Screenshot



Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola thanked the government of Tanzania for its “unequivocal collaboration” in the process of arresting and deporting Bester and Magudumana. A Mozambican national who was arrested alongside Bester and Magudumana, did not return to South Africa. DM

First published by GroundUp.

Comments (5)

Jaqueline Perkes Apr 13, 2023, 06:32 PM

Whilst we are now in Level 6 there is adulation and what-what-what for these clowns that let him escape in the first place. Millions are unemployed, unemployable and we celebrate a deportation? I am utterly dismayed, he (and Dr) must go to jail for their crimes, but where is the effort being put into making this country work!!! If the same energy was applied (no pun intended as I write in the dark by torchlight) to our futures, we'd not have this utter garbage being rolled out to divert attention from the real problems!

Derek Jones Apr 14, 2023, 07:40 AM

Desperate to look efficient at something. What a bunch of idiots.

mountainbridgegroup Apr 13, 2023, 06:20 PM

Maybe Bushiri will be behind bars next week.

Gavin Brown Apr 13, 2023, 06:18 PM

Big difference between deportation and extradition - Dubai has dual citizenship - no comparison with the Guptas case.

Vincent L Apr 13, 2023, 04:11 PM

Interesting how quickly this arrest and extradition took place when compared to that of Gupta and Associates. Mr Bester obviously has no friends in the ANC.

Matsobane Monama Apr 13, 2023, 06:30 PM

Vincent please why don't you just give the Tanzanian government credit.

Mark O’Malley Apr 13, 2023, 05:46 PM

We keep in mind that it’s not an extradition - he was illegally in Tanzania, so simply deported .

Mark O’Malley Apr 13, 2023, 05:45 PM

Nor millions to give to Tanzania.

Deon Botha-Richards Apr 13, 2023, 02:20 PM

Extradited within a week. Bit UAE takes years and then sets the accused free…