Bester, Magudumana, and ten others are appearing in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court. It‘s the first time the pair appears in court since their arrest in Tanzania in April 2023. They are accused of aiding and abetting Bester to escape from lawful custody at the Mangaung Correctional Centre (MCC) under the guard of G4S on May 2022.

Magudumana, Bester, and Zanda Moyo are the only suspects in custody. Three co-accused, including alleged mastermind Senohe Matsoara, among others, were granted bail in the High Court.

Seven others were also granted bail after the state chose not to oppose their bail application. The last suspect to be granted bail is Motanyane John Masukela. Suspects face various charges including aiding, abetting, fraud, corruption, and violating a dead body.

Magudumana was arrested in Tanzania alongside her fugitive boyfriend Bester. They were brought back to South Africa on 13 April. They were both detained by the SAPS. Bester was transferred to the Kgosi Mampuru Maximum Prison Centre in Pretoria and Magudumana was sent to the Free State where she made her first appearance at the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court.

She has been in custody ever since her detention. She earlier reserved her right to a bail application. She is alleged to have claimed the body of Katlego Bereng from the National Hospital and it was ultimately used as a decoy for Bester to escape the prison on 3 May 2022. 

Bester is said to have lived in luxury in Johannesburg. So far, 12 people have been arrested in connection with his escape and ten are out on bail of R10 000 each. OFM News has reliably learned a cell phone Bester used to make money transfers was confiscated by police from an inmate at G4S a few weeks ago and it has since been taken for forensics.

During the bail hearing of five co-accused, an investigating officer in this case, Tieho Flyman, told Magistrate Mohlolo Khabisi suspects, including Motsoara, Lipholo, and accused 7 Tieho Frans Makhotsa, received thousands of rands instead of millions promised by Bester.

Tom Katlego-Motsepe Nkwana (Bester) made regular payments of R20 000, R25 000, and R30 000 to Matsoara while in prison. Matsoara received plus-minus R150 000 from April and after the escape in May 2022.

Tieho Makhotsa accused 7, was paid R14 000. He first received R10 000 and then R4 000 after Bester's escape in May 2022.

The body of Bereng was allegedly taken by Lipholo on 30 April and placed inside a trolley dustbin. He was pretending to clean the prison yard and took it to Broadway, where Bester was kept, through an emergency door. He didn‘t use the ordinary door to avoid being searched.

OFM News