Thabo Bester Biography
| Thabo Bester | |
|---|---|
 Thabo Bester | |
| Born | June 13, 1986 Gauteng, South Africa |
| Nationality | South African |
| Other names | Tom Motsepe TK Nkwana Katlego Tom Motsepe Nkwana William Kelly |
| Known for | Escaping from prison in South Africa, Rape, Murder, Scams |
| Spouse(s) | Dr Nandipha Magudumana |
Thabo Bester is a convicted criminal who escaped from a prison in South Africa after faking his death in 2022. He escaped with the help of celebrity doctor, Dr. Nandipha Magudumana.
He was re-arrested in Tanzania following reports that he was still alive. The discovery that was still alive was led by investigative reports by a South African publication, GroundUp.[1]
Bester was on the run for almost a year before being caught in Tanzania on 8 April 2023.
He was arrested along with his partner Dr. Nandipha Magudumana. Bester was known as the "Facebook rapist" and was convicted of rape and murder.
Criminal History
- In 2012, Bester was convicted of rape and murder. He was sentenced to life in prison.
- While in prison, Bester ran a scam construction company called Arum Properties. He convinced several people to pay millions of rand for construction projects, but never delivered the goods.
- In May 2022, Bester faked his death in prison. He set fire to his cell and left a burnt body behind. The body was initially believed to be Bester's, but a new post-mortem investigation revealed that it was not.
- Bester was on the run for almost a year before being arrested in Tanzania in April 2023.
- Bester and his partner, Dr. Nandipha Magudumana, are currently awaiting trial in South Africa.
Trial following re-arrest
Following his re-arrest, questions about the illegality of the re-arrest were raised after Dr. Nandipha Magudumana’s legal team filed an urgent court application asking that all orders and warrants against her be made null and void. Magudumana claimed that she had been unlawfully abducted or extradited from Tanzania.
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaled condemned the attempts by Nandipha Magudumana to have her arrest in Tanzania declared unlawful.[2]
Concerns were raised on how the police had managed to get an arrest warrant on someone officialy deceased.
References
- ↑ Why we investigated the Thabo Bester story, GroundUp, Published: 14 April 2023, Accessed: 22 May2023
- ↑ Motsoaledi rubbishes Dr Nandipha’s court bid to have her arrest in Tanzania declared “unlawful”, GroundUp, Published:22 May 2023, Accessed: 22 May 2023
