Doctor’s father, ex-prison warden arrested in Facebook rapist escape drama

The father of Dr Nandipha Magudumana and a former prison warden who helped Facebook rapist Thabo Bester escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre have been arrested, the South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed on Monday.

Senohe Matsoara and Magudumana’s father, Zolile Cornelius Sekeleni, were arrested in Bloemfontein and Port Edward, respectively.

Matsoara was arrested on Saturday, while Sekeleni was arrested on Friday.

Bester and his fugitive girlfriend were also arrested in Arusha, Tanzania, on Friday night.

The pair was nabbed by Tanzanian police and Interpol, police minister Bheki Cele confirmed on Saturday afternoon.

Magudumana and Bester were expected to be deported back to South Africa soon.

In May last year, Bester escaped from the prison facility which is being run by G4S, after he faked his own fiery death.

It has since been established that Bester, together with prison officials, executed his elaborate jailbreak, where they swopped his body with another unknown person’s body in Cell 35 at the Bloemfontein facility.

The identity of the burnt remains found in the cell remain unknown, but a post-mortem has confirmed that the person was killed by blunt force trauma to the head.

Meanwhile, a government delegation comprising top officials from the correctional services and police departments left for Tanzania on Sunday as efforts begin to return the two fugitives to South Africa.

Police spokesperson brigadier Athlande Mathe confirmed the arrests of Sekeleni and Matsoara, a former correctional services employee, who allegedly assisted Bester to escape and who purchased a R600 000 VW T-Roc allegedly from bribe money paid by Bester.

The police said more arrests were expected.

“A 39-year-old former G4S employee and a 65-year-old man from Port Edward in the Eastern Cape are expected to appear before the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 11 April, following their arrest as investigations into the Thabo Bester escape from prison unfold.

“The multidisciplinary team investigating Bester’s escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre arrested the duo over the past weekend.

“The former G4S employee was arrested at his residence in Bloemfontein on Saturday, 8 April, while the 65-year-old man was arrested on Friday, 7 April, at his home in Port Edward,” Mathe said.
The police said both have been charged with aiding and abetting a convicted prisoner to escape from lawful custody.

Providing an update on the officials who have travelled to Tanzania, Mathe said the delegation was led by SAPS deputy national commissioner lieutenant general Tebello Mosikili .

“The team is currently engaged with their Tanzanian counterparts to finalise all legal processes required towards bringing escapee Thabo Bester and his accomplices to justice in South Africa,” said Mathe.

Police commissioner general Fannie Masemola has welcomed the latest arrests and confirmed that more arrests could not be ruled out.

“General Masemola has again reiterated the appeal to media and the public to exercise patience and allow the investigators the space to conduct the investigations with no undue pressure and expectation,” said Mathe.

Meanwhile, in a recent interview with eNCA, Sekeleni told the broadcaster he feared for his life and worried for the safety of his daughter.
Sekeleni said Magudumana had at the time told him she was in hiding and they had last spoken when she called to enquire about her mother’s health.

Sekeleni said he knew what was happening in Johannesburg, and told eNCA he was “very worried” about Magudumana.

“How can I not be worried about my daughter? I don’t want anyone to know about my whereabouts, because I do not trust anybody, it is a very sensitive matter.

“I have left it to the people to do their investigation. I am sure there are people involved from whatever it is, with government and all that, I do not want to be disturbed, I do not want to talk,” he told the broadcaster about two weeks ago. – IOL News