Two more suspects in the Thabo Bester prison break saga is due to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
A 39-year-old former G4S employee was arrested on Saturday in Bloemfontein and a 65-year-old man from Port Edward, in KwaZulu Natal, was taken into custody on Friday.
Police Spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says the men are charged with aiding and abetting a convicted prisoner to escape from lawful custody.
Mathe says the law enforcement delegation led by the Deputy National Commissioner responsible for policing, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, has also arrived in Tanzania.
“The team is currently engaged with their Tanzanian counterparts to finalise all legal processes required towards bringing escapee Thabo Bester and his accomplices to justice in South Africa. The National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola has welcomed the latest arrests and confirmed that the possibility of more arrests could not be ruled out. General Masemola has again reiterated the appeal to the media and the public to exercise patience and allow the investigators the space to conduct the investigations with no undue pressure and expectation.”
Politicians question how Thabo and Nandipha were able to escape:
The Border Management Authority (BMA) says it is not involved in the investigation regarding the escape of the convicted murderer and rapist and his partner Dr Nandipha Magudumana. This amid suspicions that Bester, Magudumana as well as Mozambican national Zacharia Alberto may have skipped the country through the porous Beitbridge Border Post.
BMA Commissioner Dr Mike Masiapato visited the border post in Musina in Limpopo to monitor its operations during the Easter holidays.
“We are not involved in as far as the investigation of that matter is concerned. The issue is at the ministry of police, justice. They are the ones who are currently dealing with the matter and I suppose very soon they should be able to address the nation in terms of outcomes of the investigations,” says Masiapato.
Intelligence, Interpol worked with SA Police to find Bester – Andy Mashaile weighs in:
Meanwhile, the Free State health department says they’re aware of reports that Bester’s girlfriend, Magudumana “stole bodies” from mortuaries in the province. However, the department’s spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi, says they cannot comment further on the matter, as it is the subject of a police investigation.
According to reports, Magudumana stole three bodies from mortuaries in the Free State, in a bid to assist Bester escape from prison. This was reportedly done before Bester’s escape.
