Five suspects accused of varying charges, including aiding and abetting Bester to escape from lawful custody on May 2022, are applying to be released on bail. They have claimed innocence and said they intend to plead not guilty. 

The state is opposing their release on bail and has since called witnesses from the SAPS provincial organised crime to testify on the police investigation. 

Suspects in the Bester escape case after their bail application was postponed to Friday 12 May 2023. VIDEOGRAPHER: Lucky Nkuyane

State prosecutor Sello Matlhoko wants to prove that the suspects acted on a common purpose when aiding and abetting Bester to escape from the Mangaung Prison. The suspects include former British security company G4S and an Integriton employee. 

On Wednesday,11 May 2023 during the first leg of the two-day bail application, the court heard how accused number 1 in the matter, and former G4S security supervisor Senohe Matsoara, travelled to the neighbouring country of Lesotho 16 times from October to November 2022.

The state witness also told Magistrate Mohlolo Khabisi that accused number 3, Teboho James Lipholo, had confessed about those involved in the Bester escape and also how he was involved.  

So far eight people, including Bester who escaped from lawful custody after staging a fire in his cell, have been arrested.

They also include Bester, his girlfriend Dr Nandipha Magudumana, and her father Zolile Sekeleni.

Bester is a convicted Facebook rapist and murderer who was serving a life sentence at the Mangaung Prison in the Free State.

Bester escaped from lawful custody in May 2022 and had a lavish lifestyle in Johannesburg. Following the exposure of his prison break he then fled to Tanzania where he was arrested alongside Magudumana in April.

Meanwhile, on Thursday Magudumana's defence lawyers revealed that she would not be going ahead with her bail application. Advocate (Adv) Frans Dlamini and his colleague Adv Machini Motloung, told Magistrate Khabisi that there are outstanding matters of importance which are relevant to Magudumana's bail application.

Adv. Dlamini requested that his client, who faces charges of arson, defeating the ends of justice, fraud, and aiding and abetting a prisoner to escape, appear with Bester and her father on Wednesday16 May 2023.

Bester is being kept at the Kgosi Mampuru maximum prison centre in Pretoria since his return to South Africa from Tanzania. He has already made his first court appearance at the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court. During his last court appearance, Bester raised a concern and said he feared being poisoned. He also said he had a dispute about the Identity Number (ID) on his passport.

Since the matter of Bester’s escape from prison came to light, G4S has dismissed three employees and suspended seven others following their internal investigations. So far, the three dismissed officials have all been arrested – including Matsoara, a woman, Nastassja Jansen (35), and a man, Tieho Frans Makhotsa (51), who worked as operators in the control room.

During the G4S officials' appearance at the Justice and Correctional Services Portfolio Committee earlier, it was explained how some of the accused might have been involved in Bester's infamous escape.

Whilst addressing members of Parliament, the G4S officials said a television cabinet was brought in and according to their investigation, it was under the instruction of Matsoara.

Matsoara further allegedly moved two employees from their standing positions. He also allegedly left the prison's premises several times and at one point came back 10 minutes before the CCTV worked properly again.

The officials revealed that Matsoara, who was dismissed on 29 September 2022, could not explain how some of the accused might have been involved in the escape.

The two officials who were arrested by the Free State police on Monday were dismissed by G4S in December 2022 and January 2023 respectively.

OFM News