By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The High Court in Bloemfontein has remanded former G4S employee Senohe Matsoara and Dr. Nandipha Magudumana’s father Zolile Sekeleni in custody until Monday
The two men are accused of aiding and abetting convicted murderer Thabo Bester, who escaped from Mangaung Correctional Centre in May 2022 by faking his own death.
They were arrested over the long Easter weekend, shortly after the news broke of Bester and Magudumana’s arrest in Tanzania on immigration charges.
The pair is facing charges of murder, fraud, defeating the ends of justice, assisting an inmate to escape from lawful custody and arson.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phaladi Shuping says more information is needed before the state would be in a position to oppose bail.
“The request for bail postponement is for bail information. We first need to check if the accused do not have previous convictions that are relating to the charges that they are facing, or if they do not have any pending cases which they are currently attending from other magistrates.
“It is only once we have that information that we will be in a position to determine if we have any grounds to oppose bail.”
G4S is a multinational security company that operated and partly-owned Mangaung Correctional Centre, where Bester was incarcerated.
The Correctional Services National Commissioner, Makgothi Thobakgale, announced last month the appointment of a Temporary Manager for the correctional facility.
According to the Correctional Services’ findings following their investigation, Bester was assisted to escape from lawful custody on 3 May 2022, yet the contractor maintains that he died in his cell.
Thobakgale said a private vehicle was allowed inside the facility without a gate pass on the day of the escape, possibly carrying an unknown body that was burnt beyond recognition in his cell.
“Tampering with surveillance cameras points to a failed monitoring system deliberately orchestrated to conceal crucial evidence and individuals who aided Bester to escape.
“This is also a failure to guarantee safe custody of inmates and a breach in terms of the responsibilities allocated to the contractor,” Thobakgale said at a media briefing in March.