Dr Nandipha Magudumana claims she was held against her will

The Citizen has reported that Nandipha Magudumana, the accomplice of convicted r*pist and murderer Thabo Bester, initially told Tanzanian authorities that she was being held against her will by Bester. The pair faked Bester’s death to facilitate an audacious escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in May 2022 and have been on the run since. The couple were caught in Tanzania with several passports containing multiple identities in their possession. They were extradited to South Africa on a private jet on Thursday morning.

According to a Tanzanian source, Magudumana and Bester gave statements to Tanzanian authorities after their arrest. Magudumana’s initial response to the arrest questions was that she was being held against her will by Bester.

After arriving in South Africa, Cele said that Magudumana was very cooperative, while Bester was not. The Department of Correctional Services’ Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale said that Bester would be under 24/7 guard, including monitoring who he is in contact with.

Meanwhile, the case against Magudumana has been postponed to 17 April for a possible bail application. Although she has not been formally charged yet, police have stated that she will face charges of aiding and abetting an escape from prison, murder, violation of bodies, and fraud.

The extradition of Bester and Magudumana from Tanzania has raised several questions, including how the couple managed to evade authorities for months and the extent of their network of support. The case continues to be a developing story, and more updates are expected to follow. – Source