Lucky Nkuyane
Two of escapee Thabo Bester's alleged accomplices will remain in custody for their formal bail application.
Zolile Sekeleni (65), father of Dr Nandipha Magudumana, and Senohe Matsoara (39), a former G4S security guard, appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court on Tuesday morning.
Magistrate Mohlolo Khabisi postponed the case to 17 April for a formal bail application.
The two men are charged with murder, arson, fraud, and defeating the ends of justice. They are also accused of helping Bester, also known as the Facebook rapist, to escape from the G4S facility in Mangaung.
Khabisi ordered that accused number 1, Matsoara, will be detained in the Brandfort Correctional Centre and accused number 2, Sekeleni, at the Bainsvlei Police Station's holding cells.
Thobakgale said the department appointed a temporary manager, Ali Mashabathakga, at G4S to control the day-to-day running of the controversial security company in Mangaung.
“The contractor has been duly informed of this decision. Mashabathakga will be supported by other officials I have appointed in order to ensure that the Mangaung Correctional Facility is able to render the required services without experiencing shortcomings.
“Restoring control and prudent management systems are key priorities to ensure that the institution is run in an efficient manner. Critical to this is the enforcement of standard operating procedures where rules and regulations are aligned toward the human treatment, safety and security of inmates, officials and service providers," he said.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Motantsi Makhele said the multi-disciplinary team investigating Bester's escape from the Mangaung Prison arrested the duo this past weekend.
He said the former G4S employee was arrested at his residence in Bloemfontein on Saturday, while Sekeleni was arrested on Friday at his home in Port Edward.
"Meanwhile, the delegation led by the SAPS' Deputy National Commissioner responsible for Policing, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, has arrived in Arusha, Tanzania. The team will finalise all legal processes with their Tanzanian counterparts to bring Bester and his accomplices to justice in South Africa.
General Fannie Masemola, National Commissioner of the SAPS, has welcomed the latest arrests and confirmed that the possibility of more arrests could not be ruled out," said Makhele.
Bester allegedly lived the high life in Johannesburg after escaping from the Mangaung prison in May 2022 after staging a well-calculated fire death in his cell.
In March, Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale, the National Commissioner, announced that the contract between the multi-national security company G4S and the Department of Correctional Services has been referred for a legal opinion.
This follows the escape of the notorious Facebook rapist from the private prison in Mangaung.
(Source: OFM News)
