Cape Town - Rapist and murderer, Thabo Bester and his girlfriend Dr Nandipha Magudumana are expected to appear alongside their co-accused Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
The group are embroiled in the elaborate prison break of Bester in May 2022.
Last week, the latest and ninth suspect to be arrested in the matter appeared in court.
Zimbabwean national, Zanda Moyo was charged with violating a corpse, assisting an inmate to escape and fraud.
According to the State, Moyo and Magudumana purported that the unclaimed and unidentified body in the Bloemfontein mortuary was Moyo’s brother, Themba Ndlovu, who was later found to be Katlego Bereng.
Bereng’s body was used as a decoy in Bester’s escape from Manguang Correctional Facility in May last year. His charred remains were found in Bester’s prison cell. At the time it was believed that Bester committed suicide.
Bereng’s identity was confirmed through a DNA match with his mother.
According to his family, he disappeared around March 2022 and was reported as a missing person.
A post-mortem confirmed Bereng died due to blunt-force trauma to the head.
Bester, Magudumana and Moyo are expected to appear alongside their co-accused former G4S prison warder, Senohe Matsoara; Magudumana's father, Zolile Cornelius Sekeleni; former Integritron Integrated Solutions camera technician, Teboho Lipholo; suspended G4S employee, Tieho Frans Makhotsa; former G4S guard, Buti Masukela; and suspended G4S employee Natassja Jansen.
It is unclear whether Bester and Magudumana will be appearing in court physically or via audio visual remand (AVR).
This is a developing story.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
IOL