Nandipha Magudumana to make virtual court appearance

Dr Nandipha Magudumana, the girlfriend of convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester, will not be appearing in person before the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court.

Court appearance

Magudumana was due to appear in court on Tuesday along with her seven co-accused, including Bester, for allegedly aiding and abetting the convict’s daring escape from Mangaung Correctional Centre in May last year.

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However, before court proceedings could begin, the media was informed that she will appear in court virtually from Kroonstad Correctional Centre. It wasn’t clear why she was not appearing in person.

On Monday, the Department of Corrections Services (DCS) announced that Bester will appear in court virtually from the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria due to security concerns.

Bester and Magudumana will appear with their six co-accused – Magudumana’s father, Zolile Cornelius Sekeleni, former G4S security supervisor Senohe Matsoara, suspended G4S guard Motenyane John Masukela, former G4S control room operators Tieho Frans Makhotsa and Nastassja Jansen as well as Integritron CCTV technician Teboho James Lipholo.

Charges

The group faces charges of corruption, fraud, defeating the ends of justice, escaping from custody, assisting an inmate to escape and violation of a body, among others.

During her last court appearance last week, Magudumana’s lawyers postponed her bail application to today after new evidence emerged.

Her co-accused, except for Bester, continued with their bail hearing and the state is opposing the applications.

Sekeleni is the only suspect in the matter who was released on bail. He was granted bail of R10 000 last month.

The case against all eight accused is expected to be postponed for further investigations.

Thabo Bester prison escape

Bester escaped from the G4S-run Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein in May 2022, after it was initially believed that he had died by suicide after setting himself alight in his cell.

An investigation revealed that the charred body that was used as a decoy in the escape was that of Free State resident Katlego Bereng.

Bester and Magudumana were arrested last month, in Tanzania, after fleeing South Africa.

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