Thabo Bester after a previous court appearance in Cape Town. Picture: ANA Archive
Cape Town – Fugitives Thabo Bester and his “customary wife” Nandipha Magudumana were deported back to South Africa in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Bester and Magudumana were arrested in Tanzania last week with several passports along with a Mozambican national.
Briefing the media in Parliament on Thursday, Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola confirmed that the pair had been returned to South Africa.
“Mr Thabo Bester has been readmitted into the Kgosi Mampuru Central Maximum Correctional Facility and Dr Nandipha Magudumana is under arrest pending her first court appearance,” Lamola said.
Magudumana is expected to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
She will be charged with aiding and abetting Bester’s escape, murder, violation of bodies and fraud.
Acting correctional services commissioner, Makgothi Thobakgale, said Bester was admitted to Kgosi Mampuru because the facility had all the security measures; and also to ensure he did not harm himself and was not harmed by any other person.
He said they would place him under 24/7 surveillance.
“Highly trained correctional services officials are to ensure that whatever circumstances that he finds himself in they will be the first on call to attend to that and to ensure we don’t experience security breaches,” Thobakgale said.
SAPS commissioner Fannie Masemola said the case of the Mozambican national was under investigation.
Mozambique police and SAPS still have to determine what offence he committed in the country and then embark on his extradition to the country.
Asked about possible arrests of politicians and senior officials, Police Minister Bheki Cele said arrests were led by investigation.
“Investigations are continuing. Wherever investigation leads us and no matter how high that will be, we will reach that,” Cele said.
He also confirmed that the South African team that went to Tanzania was satisfied that they had arrested Bester, who staged his escape from prison and had a body burnt in his cell.
“It has been forensically proved that it is him,” he said in referring to the matching of his finger prints.
Lamola thanked the Tanzanian government for its unequivocal co-operation in the matter, related to the arrest and deportation of Bester and Magudumana.
“We will endeavour to emulate this level of cooperation with other countries in areas of mutual legal assistance and related matters,” he said.
“We are grateful to all the role players seized with this matter thus far. This includes state agencies and members of the public who have shared information that has assisted in the detention of the two fugitives, following an extensive manhunt,” Lamola said.
He noted that the issues of deportation, extradition and mutual legal assistance depended on the political will of the state to assist their counterparts.
Cape Times