Home News Deportation of Thabo Bester and associates from Tanzania is possible

Deportation of Thabo Bester and associates from Tanzania is possible

by Luqmaan Rawat
A picture believed to be Thapo Bester in Tanzanian custody (left). Bester during his court appearance in South Africa (right) Photo YouTube/eNCA

South Africa – On Saturday the South African government confirmed that Thabo Bester, dubbed the “Facebook Rapist” as well as his partner, Dr Nandipha Sekeleni Magudumana, were arrested in Tanzania. The pair were arrested on Friday along with a Mozambican national who is suspected to be their accomplice.

Addressing a media briefing on Saturday, Justice and Correctional Service Minister, Ronald Lamola, said the wanted criminals were in custody with the Tanzanian authorities happy and willing to bring Bester and Sekeleni to South Africa “as speedily as possible”.

While the process to bring Bester and Sekeleni would be fairly easy since Bester can be deported because of an arrest warrant and Sekeleni for entering the country illegally, the same cannot be said about the Mozambican official.

“There’s a Mozambican national so that also complicates the whole issue because there’s another process that needs to deal with him as a Mozambican citizen and whether there are crimes that we want him here in South Africa for.”

 

Multiple passports ready for use

Police Minister, Bheki Cele, said on Satuday that Tanzanian police working with South African authorities and Interpol had followed the pair when they left a hotel in Dar es Salaam in a black SUV. When they were arrested, they were found with multiple passports all of which were not stamped. It is not clear how the pair made it to Tanzania without going through official borders.

“They did not have just one passport per person. They had several and all of them are not stamped, but in particular their entrance to Tanzania is not stamped. So, we cannot know which border [from South Africa they escaped from].

The pair were pulled over in Arusha, almost 10km from Kenya. This indicated to Cele that they were planning on going to Kenya and perhaps to another country.

 

Those implicated in Bester’s escape

Lamola confirmed that there are officials “implicated from G4S” in terms of what is in the investigative report. He also confirmed the investigation from correctional facilities was concluded and the resulting information was submitted to him on 24 March.

“We will give a blow by blow to the portfolio committee as to when the investigation started, the types of officials implicated and also those that have been placed on notice within correctional facilities. We will give the portfolio committee a blow by blow on Wednesday (12 April) on that investigation.”

On the allegations that police officials were involved in helping Bester escape, Cele said there was no proof of that as yet. However, he has called on anyone who has information to come forward. He doesn’t believe there is a case of the escape being covered up.

“If they have [helped Bester escape] we will find them. It is quite a broad investigation. We believe the doctor could have kept Bester safe and on the run by herself. If police are part of the cover up, we will find them. One thing I can accept is that it took too long [to uncover the escape].”

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The real name of Bester

There have been claims that Thabo Bester is just an alias and not his real name. Lamola confirmed that according to their system, he was registered as Thabo Bester. However, they will work with Home Affairs to uncover his real name.

“As you are aware, it has since emerged that [he] has different names and connotations which Home Affairs is dealing with and they are better placed to help. They are helping the authorities [to uncover] his real name and identity. I can confirm that correctional facilities did have these names. There are a number of leads that will help the investigators to deal with the issue of his real name.”

According to Cele, they have taken the word of Tanzanian authorities that the man in custody is Bester. Once he is released to South African authorities, they will “scientifically” prove it is him through DNA testing and fingerprints.

The South African delegation consisting of the Department of Justice and police officials departed for Tanzania on Sunday.

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