Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola has confirmed that officials from security company G4S are implicated in the escape of rapist and murderer Thabo Bester from prison.
Last week, parliament began the process of summoning G4S to explain how Bester escaped from the Mangaung Prison, which the company managed.
Lamola says the company’s alleged involvement has been investigated. “Yes, there are officials from G4S implicated, in terms of the investigative report that we have. The Correctional Services investigation has been completed and submitted to me. We will give a blow-by-blow to the portfolio committee, as to when the investigation starts, the types of officials implicated.”
Trio arrested in Arusha
Bester, his girlfriend Dr Nandipha Magudumana, and a Mozambican national named Zacharia Alberto – were arrested in Tanzania on Friday night in Arusha in northern Tanzania.
The pair have been on the run since his escape became public last month. It had been believed he had died in a fire, at the Mangaung prison in Bloemfontein, but it was later discovered that he had escaped in May last year.
The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union, Popcru, has welcomed the re-arrest of escaped fugitive Thabo Bester in Tanzania, saying that it will bring relief to his victims.
‘Relief for victims’
Popcru’s spokesperson Richard Mamabolo says, “Yes we do welcome the re-arrest, I think it also brings about some form or relief for the victims – because I think it has been long overdue that for almost a year now- they had not been aware of his whereabouts. In fact, for most of us, we had thought that he was under incarceration – so this is a huge relief. I think moving from now onwards- the main that we think should happen is to obviously do a little bit of introspection- especially on the part of the department of Correctional Services, and the contracts that they have with these two private prisons in the country.”
‘G4S contract should be terminated’
Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says all public-private partnerships with private security companies running South African prisons, including G4S, should be terminated with immediate effect.
In a statement issued following the arrest of the convicted Facebook rapist, the EFF says Bester’s apprehension in Tanzania confirms to them the level of deceit and incompetence of the Department of Correctional Services and G4S.
The party also lambasts the security company for failing to appear before parliament to account for the escape of Bester from the facility.
Confirmation from Tanzania
Tanzanian authorities have confirmed the arrest of the fugitive from the South African justice system. “Facebook rapist” is reported to have been arrested in Tanzania after escaping from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein in May 2022.
VIDEO | Thabo Bester Arrest in Tanzania I Latest update with Isaac Lukando
Deportation and extradition
Immigration attorney Ashraf Essop explains the difference between the deportation and extradition of Thabo Bester to South Africa.
There have been concerns about the performance of the government in such matters after the Guptas’ extradition request was denied by the UAE. Essop says deportation relates to immigration laws, while extradition is based on a treaty between countries.
“One of the charges apparently against Thabo Bester, and company in Tanzania, could be that they are illegal in the country- and they’re found in possession of a number of passports- which is obviously immigration related. With regards to them being sought by the South African authorities, for charges in South Africa- then there is a request for extradition, and that goes through the legal channels of that particular government- as we’ve seen with the now famous Gupta extradition in Dubai.”
A Specialist Immigration lawyer Ashraf Essop weighs in:
