The agonising delays in the case of convicted Facebook rapist and murderer Thabo Bester continue to deepen the grief of the Bereng family.

Bester appeared alongside Nandipha Magudumana and seven co-accused in the Bloemfontein High Court for pre-trial on Wednesday (21/2). After several changes were made to the legal representation of suspects, the pre-trial was postponed to 5 June.

‘His body was used as a decoy’

Bereng’s mother, Monica Matsie, expressed how the initial glimmer of hope for swift justice quickly faded as the court dates kept being postponed. His body was used as a decoy during Bester’s escape from the Mangaung Maximum Correctional facility two years ago. The postponement of a pre-trial hearing today was the latest blow for Matsie, leaving her feeling utterly undone by the justice system.

Katlego Bereng’s aunt Mantsane Poppie Bereng said the family has mixed feelings as the wheels of justice are notoriously slow and taking their toll on the family.

“Today of course we didn’t expect much. We again saw the rollercoaster between the state and the defence. However we are hopeful, we will wait. You know when you’ve been through something that you do not have control over there’s not much you can do,” she said.

Matsie confirmed that the family is planning to sue the state as they continue to seek answers about how their son passed away and how his body ended up in Mangaung G4S prison.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi  g/cg