Johannesburg – Police confirmed the arrest of two suspects, a former G4S employee and a man believed to be celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana’s father, in connection with the wild escape from a Mangaung prison facility by Facebook rapist and former fugitive Thabo Bester.
Over the weekend, Bester, Magudumana, and a Mozambican national, Zakaria Alberto, were arrested in Arusha, Tanzania.
According to reports, the suspects were allegedly assaulted while attempting to resist arrest, which was led by the Tanzanian Police Force and Interpol.
Bester has been on the run since his escape from Mangaung Maximum Security Prison in May last year.
Today, police confirmed the arrest of a 39-year-old former G4S employee and a 65-year-old man from Port Edward in the Eastern Cape.
A multi-disciplinary team investigating Bester's escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre apprehended the duo over the past weekend; they are due in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court tomorrow (Tuesday), following their arrest, as investigations into Bester’s escape from prison unfold.
Police national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the former G4S employee was arrested at his residence in Bloemfontein on Saturday, April 8, while the 65-year-old man was arrested on Friday, April 7, at his home in Port Edward.
"Both suspects have been charged with aiding and abetting a convicted prisoner to escape from lawful custody," Mathe said.
She announced that the delegation led by SAPS Deputy National Commissioner responsible for Policing, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, has arrived in Arusha, Tanzania.
"The team is currently engaged with their Tanzanian counterparts to finalise all legal processes required towards bringing escapee Bester and his accomplices to justice in South Africa," Mathe said.
National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola, has welcomed the latest arrests and confirmed that the possibility of more arrests cannot be ruled out, she said.
"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 or expectation," Mathe said.
Magudumana, Bester’s girlfriend, had been heavily criticised for allegedly aiding him to escape, and some South Africans, after learning about the incident, came to the conclusion that no matter the level of education, one can throw it all out the window.
"A whole NQF level 8 sacrificed her future for a man. This is embarrassing," said civilian Sipho Moloi.
The Star