The Free State High Court has postponed Dr Nandipha Magudumana’s urgent application to next week Thursday. This is to afford the respondents, including the Department of home affairs time to file its papers on the matter.
Magudumana is challenging her arrest in Tanzania in April this year. She has suspended her bail application in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court.
Magudumana is facing charges of aiding and abetting convicted killer Thabo Bester to escape from prison, defeating the ends of justice, arson, fraud and violating a dead body.
Lawyers say Home Affairs will be the sixth respondent and they will file papers by Monday.
BREAKING #ThaboBester
The urgent application brought by #DrNandiphaMagudumana to have her arrest in Tanzania declared unlawful has been POSTPONED to 1 June.
This is in part due to Home Affairs joining proceedings in opposing the application as 6th respondent.#sabcnews pic.twitter.com/fh4FakLUrx— Chriselda Zozi Lewis (Babes Wendaba) (@Chriseldalewis) May 26, 2023
JUST IN:#ThaboBester
Home Affairs will be bringing a joiner application to oppose #DrNandiphaMagudumana‘s urgent application to declare her arrest in Tanzania unlawful.
Lawyers representing Home Affairs have arrived.#sabcnews pic.twitter.com/fFjIDNXIHd— Chriselda Zozi Lewis (Babes Wendaba) (@Chriseldalewis) May 26, 2023
Opposition to urgent application
Earlier, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it will oppose Magudumana’s urgent application.
The NPA Spokesperson Mthunzi Mhanga said, “National Prosecuting Authority through the Directorate of Prosecutions in the Free State will oppose the urgent application lodged by Dr Nandipha Magudumana in the Free State High Court because we believe that there is no merit in that application. However, our team will unpack the grounds upon which we are basing our opposition during the hearing.”
Magudumana and Bester were arrested in Arusha last month. Bester escaped from Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein in May last year in a staged suicide which allegedly involved the assistance of employees of the facility.
