Facebook rapist Thabo Bester has been a hot topic in South African media for years now, and just when the country thought they’d seen the last of him, new revelations have emerged. The convicted rapist and murderer, who was believed to have died in a fire that broke out in his cell at the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein, Free State last year, has reportedly escaped from the same prison.
The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) confirmed on Saturday that Bester had indeed escaped, and a manhunt has been launched to find him. GroundUp has published several reports linking Bester to celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana after the couple was spotted at a Woolworths in Sandton City nearly two months after his escape. Magudumana is the sister of the man who blew the whistle on Bester, Nkosinathi Sekeleni.
Sekeleni exposed Bester’s relationship with Magudumana last year, and since then, he has reportedly received numerous threatening phone calls and has had to flee his home with his son and wife. Sekeleni has gone into hiding at an undisclosed location and is pleading with authorities to provide his family with protection as the manhunt for Bester continues.
“I fear for my life because of the articles that were written putting me at the centre for exposing my sister. I don’t know what dots to connect. I don’t know which high ranking officials are involved in this [case] and it can come back and bite me,” Sekeleni told City Press via telephone.
The media coverage on Bester’s escape has reportedly forced Sekeleni to flee his home, and he is now practically homeless. The manhunt for Bester continues, and the police commissioner has launched an investigation into the media leak.
The shocking story of the Facebook rapist has captivated South Africans for years now, and it seems that it’s not over yet. As the manhunt for Thabo Bester continues, the country waits with bated breath for more shocking revelations to emerge.
Sources:
- https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/manhunt-underway-after-facebook-rapist-thabo-bester-escapes-from-prison-20220326
- https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/whistleblower-in-facebook-rapist-case-forced-to-flee-home-after-death-threats-25cfb934-7cbf-47c3-8f9b-1e7c4c6f8a2c
- https://ewn.co.za/2022/03/27/police-probing-media-leak-in-thabo-bester-escape-story