Syndicate suspected to have assisted Bester escape from prison

The Department of Correctional services says it’s looking into a criminal syndicate that has allegedly been running at the Mangaung Correctional Centre, where Thabo Bester was serving a life sentence.

The gang is said to have also possibly aided the convicted Facebook rapist and murderer’s escape from the maximum facility in May 2022. He had faked his death and set his prison cell on fire.

Bester was re-arrested alongside his lover, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, in Tanzania, last year.

The pair face multiple charges alongside 10 other co-accused, including the medic’s father, Sekeleni Magudumana.

The department’s spokesperson, Singabakho Nxumalo, says they’ve gathered information from inmates and officials.

According to news publication Sunday Times, a leaked document of the probe uncovered alleged sex ring syndicates, a poisoning campaign to kill offenders who may have witnessed the brazen escape.

The document further reveals that some female prison wardens worked as sex workers and charged about R1 500 for the service.

It is alleged that Bester made use of a ‘boy-wife’ movement to organise sexual exchanges between inmates and officials.

Among those implicated in the damning report is a senior prison official.

Meanwhile, the brazen criminal previously told the court that a number of his luxurious items were seized when he was arrested in Tanzania.

The items which are missing include:

– Iphone 14 Pro Max worth R36 000
– Samsung S23 worth R32 000
– Samsung Z4 worth R40 000
– iPod 16 worth R18 000
– Macbook Air 16 worth R12 500
-Macbook Pro 16 worth R34 600
– Burberry cardholder worth R15 500
– Burberry sunglasses worth R11 500
-Tom Ford sunglasses worth R9 500
– HP Laptop worth R41 000
– Louis Vuitton laptop bag worth R51 000
– Marriage ring worth R350 000
– Two AP watches worth R2.5 million
– Two FM watches worth R2.5 million
– 2 Rolex O watches worth R2.6 million

It is alleged that Bester reported all the missing items at the Lanseria Police Station.

Bester, dubbed South Africa’s Houdini and his co-accused, will be back in the High Court in Bloemfontein on February 21.