Convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana are back in South Africa.
It is understood the plane carrying the pair from Arusha in Tazania to South Africa landed at the Lanseria Airport in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The duo were arrested in Tanzania, just 10km from the Kenyan border with several passports – with multiple identities – in their possession
A South African delegation consisting of the Department of Justice and police officials departed for the East African country on Sunday to bring the fugitives back to South Africa.
A Mozambican national Zakaria Alberto who was “assisting” them has also been arrested.
Back in SA
After landing on South African soil, Bester and Dr Nandipha were ushered into a Nyala amid heavy police presence and were reportedly taken to Kgosi Mampuru Prison.
A South African delegation consisting of the Department of Justice and police officials departed for the East African country on Sunday to bring the fugitives back to South Africa.
Update
Meanwhile, Police Minster Bheki Cele and Justice Minister, Ronald Lamola will on Thursday morning update the nation surrounding the return of Bester and Dr Nandipha’s arrival back in South Africa.
Several accomplices have to far been arrested in the saga surrounding Bester and Dr Nandipha.
On Thursday, Police confirmed that a 44-year-old employee contracted to a company that installs CCTV cameras at the Mangaung Correctional Centre (MCC) where convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester escaped from, has been arrested while another who was allegedly driving Dr Nandipha’s car is in custody and being questioned by authorities.
Escape
Bester escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein in May 2022 after it was initially believed he had committed suicide by setting himself alight in his cell.
However, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), which originally declared him dead, confirmed that the charred body found in his cell was not that of Bester who was convicted in 2012.
Bester had in fact been alive and at large for the last nine months.
According to the autopsy report, the deceased had died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head, therefore, was already dead prior to the arson incident.
Police have since registered a case of murder, which is currently under investigation.
