By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
A 31-year-old Zimbabwean national, appeared in court in connection with aiding and abetting rapist and murderer, Thabo Bester to escape from prison.
He is the 9th person arrested in the saga.
Zanda Moyo (31) appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
During the court proceedings, Moyo said he did not have a legal representative and asked whether he could contact his family.
Magistrate Mohlolo Khabisi granted his request and said that he can use LegalAid’s services, free of charge.
Moyo, allegedly aided Nandipa Magudumana to claim Katlego Bereng’s body from the National Hospital in Bloemfontein, has been slapped with several charges. The charges include violating the dead body of Bereng, fraud, aiding and abetting a prisoner to escape from prison, and harbouring and concealing an escaped offender.
Moyo and Magudumana lied to officials that Bereng was his brother Themba Moyo from Zimbabwe, who was a taxi driver. Bereng’s body was later found in Cell 35 in the Mangaung Correctional Centre. The body was burnt beyond recognition and had blunt force trauma. It was used as a decoy for Bester to escape on 3 May 2022. Moyo will appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court and face charges of aiding and abetting Bester to escape.
He has since requested to have an Isindebele court interpreter. Moyo was arrested on Sunday 11 June 2023 in Johannesburg as the ninth suspect in the Bester escape case. Moyo will be remanded in custody until 20 June 2023 when all the suspects appear in court.
Tieho Flyman, who was the state witness during bail proceedings, said Bereng’s body was placed in a trolley dustbin before it was taken to Bester’s cell.
The body was allegedly brought inside the premises of the prison on 29 April 2022 by accused 1, Seneho Matsoara, whilst driving a hired vehicle by accused 2, Zolile Sekeleni, who is the father of accused 4, Magudumana.
Matsoara gained entry to the premises with Bereng’s body without being searched. Later it was placed in cell 35 by him and Lipholo.
The witness says during the escape Bester was handed a G4S uniform and he walked out of the prison premises with accused 3, Teboho James Lipholo.
Lipholo was allegedly promised R2,5 million by Matsoara but he only received R40 000, with R30 000 paid to the bank account of his wife in April 2022, and R10 000 into his account in May 2022, by Matsoara.
“The dead body was taken to the Thusanong mortuary for the preparation of the burial and the funeral was held in phase two where Matsoara got the body from,” the witness told the court.
He also revealed during his testimony at this bail hearing that Bereng’s body, which was claimed by Magudumana, was never buried or inside the casket, the police found three bags of 10 kg maize flour.
Meanwhile celebrity doctor Dr Mmereka “Pashy” Ntshani alleges she was swindled out of millions by Bester and Dr Magudumana to work with US media mogul Oprah Winfrey on a women empowerment initiative.
“I gave Magudumana permission to give TK Nkoana (one of Bester’s aliases) my number and he called me. He said he was TK Nkoana, a South African businessman who’s now based in the US, and he said he had good relationships with the likes of Oprah Winfrey, as he was part of the team that was organising her coming to SA for the Global Citizens, she said.
Ntshani said Bester sent her bogus contracts allegedly signed by Winfrey and her TV network OWN. He also claimed US TV personality Gail King would be one of the speakers during the initiative.
She said Bester swindled her out of millions of rand through Vibes Africa Incorporated International, a company allegedly owned by Magudumana.
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Video Courtesy of SABC.