Thabo Bester was detained by police while on the run and then let go, two months after escape

It has emerged that Thabo Bester evaded capture even while he was on the run, being detained by the police for speeding and then released two months after he escaped from prison.

Bester, also known as the Facebook rapist, escaped from Mangaung Correctional Centre, a privately run maximum-security prison, in May 2022.

He faked his death in a cell fire, allegedly with the help of his girlfriend and celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana and several prison officials.

Bester and Magudumana were arrested in April 2023 and are currently awaiting trial.

Bester arrested, released, fails to appear in court

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu told the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Bester was arrested in the Western Cape on 12 July 2022.

“Thabo Bester was arrested for speeding by traffic officers from Laingsburg,” Mchunu explained in written replies to questions from the DA’s Nicholas Gotsell, which have been posted online by GroundUp.

“Thabo Bester produced a smart identity card to identify himself to the traffic officer bearing the name Katlego Nkwana.”

“The traffic officer suspected that the identity card was fraudulent and went with him to the nearest Department of Home Affairs offices. [There] it was confirmed that the identity smart card was fraudulent.”

This led to Bester being detained under the name Katlego Nkwana for fraud. He was later released and given notice to appear in court on 8 August 2022. However, “he failed to appear, and the case was deemed ‘nolle proseque’ at court”.

ALSO READ: Officials who delayed reporting Bester’s escape handed final written warnings

Security violations in Thabo Bester cell

Meanwhile, Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald visited the Mangaung and Grootvlei Correctional Centres in Bloemfontein on 14 October.

During his visit, Groenewald conducted what the department called “a comprehensive physical inspection” of the Mangaung facility, where Bester escaped.

Groenewald’s spokesperson, Euné Oelofsen, said the inspection included the area from which the decoy body was removed and the cell where the fire incident occurred.

The decoy body was that of Katlego Bereng, which was found burnt in cell 35 at the Mangaung Correctional Centre (MCC).

“This assessment again shows that numerous security violations have transpired, confirming that this escape was meticulously planned. Notably, the system has been significantly manipulated, with several employees implicated in the escape,” Oelofsen said.

Additional reporting by Faizel Patel.