Thabo Bester arrest: Did Dr Nandipha Magudumana steal the identity of Dr Pashy?

The Citizen can reveal that Dr. Nandipha Magudumana knew Dr Mmereka Patience Martha Ntshani, the name she assumed when she was arrested with her boyfriend – convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester – in Tanzania.

Questions have been raised about the relationship between Magudumana and Ntshani. Also known as Dr Pashy, Ntshani is an anaesthetist based in Pretoria.

Real doctor

The name that Magudumana was travelling under when she was arrested was Martha Patience Mmerika Ntshani. This name, however, belongs to a real doctor.

According to a highly-placed source, The Citizen also revealed that Bester was found with documents that identified him as Tommy William Kelly, an American citizen.

Bester had at least 19 fictitious names that he was travelling under when he was arrested.

ALSO READ: Thabo Bester arrest: These are the names he and Nandipha Magudumana travelled under

Arrest

Magudumana and Bester were arrested in Tanzania on Friday night with several passports – containing multiple identities – in their possession.

This was confirmed by Police Minister Bheki Cele during a press briefing in Pretoria on Saturday where he shed more light on the couple’s dramatic arrest.

The duo were handcuffed alongside a Mozambican national Zakaria Alberto, who was “assisting” them.

They travelled from Johannesburg to Bulawayo, to Zambia and then to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and Arusha before they were nabbed.

Dr Nandipha and Dr Pashy

From social media posts and newspaper articles, it is clear that Dr Nandipha and Dr Pashy have met before. However, it is unclear what the extent of their relationship was.

In October 2020, Ntshani, founder of the Dr Pashy Foundation, hosted the Dr Pashy Foundation and Power Woman Inc Present Power Women Talk Dinner at the Houghton Hotel in Houghton Estate.

Fund raising

The event brought together Ntshani, Magudumana, and multi-award-winning film producer and actress Terry Pheto to raise money for disadvantaged children’s education.

Pheto herself has been implicated in an investigation of funds linked to siphoning of the National Lottery Commission (NLC) grant funding.

Her Bryanston home was up for auction after a preservation order was granted by the Gauteng High Court, in Pretoria, to the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) on 4 November 2022, to freeze Pheto’s home.

Dr. Ntshani said that the main aim of her foundation was to raise funds for tertiary education and distribute the funds to underprivileged pupils who did not have access to bursaries.

Gala dinner

Magudumana posted a photo of herself and Dr Pashy on Instagram.

“Yesterday we launched Drs Network, a gala event. We opened up various topics and dialogues around the challenges of the global crisis.

“On behalf of Dr’s Network, we wanted to express our appreciation to you Dr. Pashy for the keynote speech on the experiences and views of frontliner.

“It was extremely informative, genuine and shaped our understanding of the actual experience, you had us emotional as we listened attentively,” she posted.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dr Nandipha (@drnandipha)

Dr Pashy response

The Citizen has sent a list of questions to Dr Pashy regarding the relationship between her and Dr Nandipha and whether she was aware of the activities of convicted rapist and murderer Bester and Dr Nandipha following their run from authorities and subsequent arrest in Tanzania.

Although the message was read by Dr. Pashy, there was no response at the time of publication.

ALSO READ: How Nandipha Magudumana ‘stole bodies’ to help Thabo Bester escape – report