A mugshot taken of Thabo Bester around the time of his trial. Note that his height is above 1.7m. Source: Used by several newspapers in 2011 without attribution (copied for fair use)
As law enforcement agencies hunt down fugitive Thabo Bester, a private security company, Fidelity ADT, has offered a R100 000 cash reward for information that leads to the arrest of the convicted criminal.
Bester, dubbed the “Facebook rapist” for his crimes, escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein in May 2022 after it was believed he had committed suicide by setting himself alight in his cell.
However, an investigation by the Department of Correctional Services, which originally declared him dead, confirmed that the charred body found in his cell was not that of the convicted murderer and rapist.
Bester has in fact been alive and at large for the last nine months.
Speaking to The Citizen, Fidelity CEO Wahl Bartmann said they are working with police to close the net around the Facebook Rapist.
“I’ve got a team together trying to assist to see if we can arrest him and any information we can get from the public or people that know him, would definitely assist us in that investigation.
Bartman said they have already received credible information about the whereabouts of Bester.
“We are following up on some leads and investigations are continuing.”
It’s unclear if Bester is in South Africa or if he has fled the country.
ALSO READ: Thabo Bester: Correctional Services concedes G4S boss lost control of Mangaung prison
In 2022, Bartmann put up a R100 000 award for information leading to the arrest of a serial arsonist, who was terrorising the eastern and northern suburbs of Johannesburg over the past two years setting fire to plush homes.
The man has since been arrested and is awaiting trial.
Meanwhile, in a media briefing on Thursday, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) National Commissioner, Makgothi Thobakgale, conceded that the boss of the contractor G4S had lost control of the prison following Bester’s escape.
Thobakgale said the department had taken measures to secure the prison by appointing a temporary senior manager to take over the facility immediately.
He also admitted that Bester’s escape from the Mangaung prison was well planned.
Thobakgale said Bester’s escape was one of its kind and that findings of the investigation report clearly reveal that Bester had help when he escaped from “lawful custody”.
ALSO READ: Thabo Bester: ‘Difficult for govt to say what G4S is not complying with’
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