BESTER’S DECOY BODY | WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The man whose body was found in Thabo Bester’s cell 35 at the Mangaung Correctional Centre in May last year when the rapist and murderer faked his death, Katlego Bereng Mpholo, was laid to rest on Sunday.

Family, friends and community members hailed him as a loving, selfless and warm young man.

Below are some of the facts about him:

• He was 32 years old and had two children
• He worked at one of the eateries in Bloemfontein and loved partying with his friends
• He loved soccer and has been described as respectful and humble, among others
• He was born to Monica Matsie and Batho Mpholo
• According to post-mortem results, he died of a blunt force to the head but his family was previously told that he had died of low blood pressure after he collapsed while in town in Bloemfontein
• He went missing in March 2022 and a case to that effect was opened with the police in May of the same year
• His family only knew about his death in April 2023 after the authorities reached out, asking to do DNA tests, which then confirmed his identity
• In the same month, the authorities confirmed that Pholo was the man thought to have been Thabo Bester by authorities in May 2022 when he faked his death
• Pholo knew Senohe Matsoara, a former G4S guard who is standing trial for alleged involvement in Bester’s prison escape
• His death is not under investigation despite concerns of the conflicting reports on it
• Mpholo’s family wants to know how the 32-year-old’s body ended up in Bester’s cell
• His father believes the 32-year-old was murdered