State prosecutor Amanda Bester announced the withdrawal of charges against accused number five, Motanyane Masukela, during a pre-trial hearing in the High Court in Bloemfontein on Monday (17/6). 

Former G4S security company employee Masukela had been among individuals charged in connection with the elaborate escape of convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in 2022. He faced multiple charges, including fraud and violating a corpse.  

Bester, often referred to as the “Facebook rapist” for using the platform to lure his victims, escaped from custody after faking his death in a fire inside his prison cell. 

During today’s proceedings, the court also addressed legal representation issues concerning other co-accused individuals. Judge Mareena Lani Opperman ordered Zolile Sekeleni, accused number four and father of Bester's girlfriend and co-accused Nandipha Magudumana, to secure legal representation.

Sekeleni informed the court he had no financial means to afford a lawyer. His application for Legal Aid was previously denied in January. 

Judge Opperman cautioned that if he fails to obtain a lawyer, the court will proceed with the trial regardless of his legal status.

The court has postponed the matter to 19 September for a case management hearing, with the trial date set for 21 July at the High Court in Bloemfontein.

The accused continue to face a range of serious charges, including fraud, corruption, violation of a corpse, and defeating the ends of justice, all tied to what authorities have described as a carefully orchestrated and deeply troubling escape plot involving inside help and deception at the highest levels.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi mvh