According to the State, evidence strongly suggests that the charred man discovered in the cell of Thabo Bester, a convicted rapist and murderer, was intentionally murdered as part of an escape plan.
Also read: Popcru welcome re-arrest of Thabo Bester following ’embarrassing’ escape
As reported by News24, the autopsy report of the unidentified individual revealed that the cause of death was a blunt-force injury to the skull.
Notably, there was no evidence of smoke inhalation, soot or burning in the airway or lungs, indicating that the individual was already deceased before being burned in cell 35 on 3 May 2022.
Phaladi Shuping, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, confirmed that the man found burned in Thabo Bester’s cell had died shortly before being set alight. As a result, two men who appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday now face additional murder charges.
Bester, along with his accomplice Dr Nandipha Magudumana, is expected to face murder charges once they are connected to the case.
Also read: Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha made millions from construction company
According to Shuping, once all the accused are charged, the trial will determine the perpetrator of the murder of the unknown man found burned in Bester’s cell.
The two individuals currently accused of the crime are Zolile Sekeleni (65), the father of Bester’s accomplice, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, and Senohe Matsoara (39), a former prison warder employed by G4S.
As per the charge sheet, the man, whose identity remains unknown, was murdered on or around 3 May 2022, the same day that the cell caught fire. An anonymous source from the intelligence community revealed that the deceased was unlikely to be taken from a morgue, as that would involve multiple individuals.
Also read: Thabo Bester ran a glamorous media company from prison
The anonymous source further explained that killing the unidentified man would have reduced the number of witnesses involved, as the more people partaking in the escape plot, the higher the risk of it being exposed.
Thabo Bester gained infamy as the ‘Facebook rapist’ after it was discovered that he used the social media platform to deceive young women with offers of advancing their modelling and entertainment careers. Instead, he subjected them to rape, assault and robbery.
Bester had admitted guilt in two rape cases and one murder case in 2011 and 2012, resulting in a life sentence.
On 3 May 2022, Bester was declared deceased after allegedly setting himself on fire. While DNA results released in October 2022 confirmed that the charred body was not Bester, an official report was only received by correctional services national commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale on 22 March 2023.
During Tuesday’s court proceedings in room 17, prosecutors charged the accused with murder, obstruction of justice, and assisting in an escape.
Zolile Sekeleni was additionally charged with fraud, while Senohe Matsoara was charged with arson for starting the fire in the solitary confinement cell.
Bester was reportedly placed in solitary confinement after claiming that he feared for his life from other prisoners. It has been reported that he chose this particular cell due to its proximity to a prison exit.
The case has been adjourned until Monday, 17 April for a formal bail application.
Both Sekeleni and Matsoara will remain in custody at separate detention centres until the hearing.
Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana, who had been on the run since reports of Bester’s prison escape surfaced last month, were apprehended along with a Mozambican national in Tanzania on Friday night, 7 April 2023.
Also read: Bester and Dr. Nandipha arrested in Tanzania after weeks on the run
Popcru, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union, issued a statement on Tuesday, stating that the public is entitled to answers regarding Thabo Bester’s escape and the role of private companies managing correctional facilities.
Popcru President Zizamele Cebekhulu-Makhaza emphasised the need for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Bester’s escape, including how he ended up in a private facility and how he managed to flee custody. Cebekhulu-Makhaza stressed the importance of addressing these critical questions.
Cebekhulu-Makhaza said that there is also the issue of an unidentified body found in Bester’s cell.
‘The department needs to find out who this person was, how they ended up in the cell with Bester, and what role they may have played in his escape.’
‘These are critical questions which could shed light on who assisted Bester in escaping, and whether there is any potential corruption or fraud present in the private prison system,’ he said.
Cebekhulu-Makhaza emphasised that Bester’s daring escape raised serious concerns about the effectiveness of privately-run prisons and the need for the government to take a more active role in managing correctional facilities.
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Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha made millions from construction company
Picture: illustrated by Lisa Nelson