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SAPS National Commissioner orders for Thabo Bester case to be prioritised

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The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola, has ordered the prioritisation of investigations into the Mangaung prison escape case.
 
Masemola says this is done in the interest of justice for the victims, survivors, and the affected families.
 
This comes after reports that the controversial offender Thabo Bester, who was served with a 75-year jail term, did not commit suicide, as previously reported.
 
 
This follows the discovery of a badly burnt body inside his cell. However, DNA tests on the body suggested otherwise.
Masemola says the detectives from the Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) and the Organised Crime Investigations (OCI) units in the Free State and Gauteng provinces have been working together around the clock on this investigation.
“A case of murder is under investigation following the outcome of the DNA analysis that confirmed that the body of the deceased which was found was not of Thabo Bester. The autopsy report went on to further reveal that the deceased had died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head, and was already dead, prior to the arson incident.”
Masemola says a case of escape from lawful custody was also registered on confirmation by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) that Thabo Bester was not in the custody.
“The likelihood of more charges being added cannot be ruled out as the investigation unfolds.”
Due to the sensitive nature of the investigations, Masemola has appealed to the public for patience and “that the Detectives be allowed the space to conduct a thorough investigation, towards building a watertight case that can ultimately stand in court.”
“Placing undue pressure on the investigators and demanding blow-by-blow updates at this stage, has the potential to jeopardise the investigation,” says Masemola.
Masemola says a manhunt has been launched for all people of interest in this particular case.

Department of Correctional Services has finally confirmed that the so-called Facebook rapist, Thabo Bester, is on the loose:

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