Thabo Bester

Madlanga Commission | DCS Commissioner Thobakgale details prison gang influence

Commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), Makgothi Thobakgale, has lifted the lid on what he describes as an organised network of corruption, contraband and gang influence operating behind prison walls. Testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Thursday, Thobakgale said some officials are allegedly helping to smuggle drugs and other contraband into correctional facilities, activities he says bear the hallmarks of organised crime. He told the Commission […]

September 17, 2026 109

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Cat Matlala enjoyed ‘unusual freedom’ at Kgosi Mampuru: Mkhwanazi

KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has revealed claims that alleged underworld kingpin Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala was living comfortable at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Facility. Mkhwanazi told Parliament's ad-hoc committee on Wednesday, that he received a handwritten letter from an inmate who shared a cell with Matlala at the maximum facility. He says the inmate alleged that Matlala had a close relationship with the head of the facility and made […]

March 18, 2026 252

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Bester launches legal bid to move from Ebongweni to Leeuwkop

Convicted murderer and rapist, Thabo Bester, has filed court papers challenging his transfer to the country’s most secure prison, the Ebongweni Super Maximum Correctional Facility in KwaZulu Natal. Bester had been held at the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria, following his dramatic escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in 2022. In his application, Bester is seeking to be transferred to the Leeuwkop Correctional Facility, or a comparable centre […]

February 3, 2026 103

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Bester joins ‘Cat’ Matlala in eBongweni Super Max in KZN

Convicted Facebook rapist and murderer, Thabo Bester, has been transferred to South Africa’s highest-security prison, the eBongweni Super Maximum Correctional Facility in Kokstad, KwaZulu-Natal. The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) says his transfer is part of routine practice, guided by established security risk assessments to ensure the safety and stability of correctional facilities. Bester was previously detained at the Kgosi Mampuru C Max facility following his dramatic escape from Mangaung […]

January 30, 2026 171