A state witness from the Free State Police's Organised Crime Unit is testifying in the bail application of suspects accused of aiding and abetting Thabo Bester to escape. 

‘Body was placed in a trolley dustbin’

The witness, who can't be named now, said Katlego Bereng's body, which was burnt inside cell 35 in Broadway, at the Mangaung Prison, was placed in a trolley dustbin before it was taken to Bester's cell.  

The body was allegedly brought inside the premises of the Mangaung 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, Dr Nandi 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 before it was burnt as a decoy for Bester to escape. 

‘Bester was handed a G4S uniform and walked out’

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.

Accused 8, Nastassja Jansen, and 7, Tieho Makhotsa, were both fired from G4S.

Matsoara brought Bereng's body inside the prison facilities on 29 April 2022 driving a vehicle hired by Sekeleni on 27 April 2022 at the OR Tambo airport. On 29 April Matsoara drove the vehicle in at 17:00 when he went to work.

Magudumana fraudulently claimed the body as the body of Zanda Moyo's brother and claimed to be helping Moyo to have the corpse buried.

“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.

'Police found three bags of maize flour in casket'

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 10kg maize flour.

GRAPHIC: Mail & Guardian

Matsoara on 29 April arrived at G4S, at an entrance called Sally port, which was controlled on that day by accused 6, Buti Masukela. To enter Sally port, you must have a gate pass which only a supervisor provides. This is controlled by officials in the control room.

Matsoara did not have the gate pass to gain entry into the premises. In the van, there was a television cabinet and behind it, a bag carrying the dead body. He was not searched and he wasn't on duty on that day.

’There was no such emergency’

"At the gate, Masukela allegedly demanded a gate pass from Matsoara and at some point, Masukela's operational supervisor heard about this and also demanded a gate pass after hearing that Matsoara wanted to gain entry. The supervisor got an emergency call, indicating there was an emergency at Campus. During our investigations, we found out that there was no such emergency," the witness testified.

Matsoara went in without being searched and the vehicle went to the workshops, dropped off the television cabinet and body, and later drove off.

The body was taken by Lipholo on 30 April and placed inside a trolley dustbin. He was pretending to clean the prison yard and took it to Broadway, where Bester was kept, through an emergency door and did not use the ordinary door. This was done to avoid the search.

The witness said gaining entry into Broadway is controlled by CCR monitors.

'He disconnected the system in order to get in'

He alluded to the fact that Lipholo knew and had the expertise as a technician of Integriton, operating the cameras at G4S, and had his way of disconnecting the system in order to get in.

"Lipholo took the body through a small door leading into a dark room, which is a passage leading to the roof of the prison, and left it there. He took his trolley dustbin back out.

On 2 May 2022, Lipholo was again supposed to knock off in the evening and pretended he logged off by scanning his finger to clock off on the biometric system.

Matsoara, as a supervisor, was not supposed to work at night but on 2 May he requested a colleague to swap shifts.

‘Matsoara spoke to four people in another prison cell’

Personnel at the block Walls gave a statement and said Matsoara went to a certain block, called Walls, and went to a prison cell holding four people and spoke to them. They said he was supposed to register his visits for inspection but did not do that. And in the middle of the night, there was an indication that there was smoke in cell 35 where Bester was kept.

Matsoara and a colleague posted on Broadway and went there to inspect cell 35 on the first floor and a colleague went to the ground floor to inspect where the smoke might be coming from. He said there was no smoke.

‘An inmate complained about breathing difficulties’

Later there was an incident at Walls, with an inmate who complained about breathing difficulties, and Matsoara then instructed the officer in Broadway to attend to that inmate.

The official questioned the decision and said Broadway should not be left unattended on the day in question. The official is said to have given a statement and is a witness.

On 3 May, there was a notification that cell 35, where Bester was occupied, was on fire, that the fire was attended to, and that there was an attempt to extinguish the fire in that cell.

‘While the fire was burning he was on his cell phone’

According to witnesses, Matsoara, who was on the scene, pretended he was extinguishing the fire but while the fire was burning he was on his cell phone.

The other officials from the block had to attend to the fire. After the fire was extinguished, the body believed to be that of Thabo Bester, was found and it was believed that he committed suicide.

‘Money transferred’

"According to our investigations money was the major factor. A bank statement proved that R30 000 was first paid through the account of Lipholo's wife before the escape.

Lipholo's wife explained that her husband said the money should be paid into her bank account and that he knew about the money. After the escape, the other R10 000 was transferred from Matsoara's bank account to Lipholo's.

Tom Katlego-Motsepe Nkwana (Bester) made regular payments of R20 000, R25 000, and R30 000 to Matsoara whilst in prison. Matsoara received plus-minus R150 000 from April and after the escape in May 2022.

Tieho Makhotsa, accused 7, was paid R14 000. He first received R10 000 and then R4 000 after Bester's escape in May 2022.

UPDATE: The bail application of the five accused charged with varying charges in the Thabo Bester escape has been postponed to 16 May 2023. The defence lawyer for accused 1, Senohe Matsoara, asked for a postponement. 

Lawyer Kagisho Moruri told the Bloemfontein Magistrate Mohlolo Khabisi that he need to prepare and further consult with his client in light of new evidence against him. 

A state witness from the SAPS Provincial Organised Crime Unit testified about the police investigation of Bester's escape from the Mangaung Prison on 3 May 2023. He shared light on how each suspect is or was involved in aiding and abetting the convicted rapist and murderer. 

On 16 May, all accused – including Bester and Maguduamana – might appear alongside each other. Bester's appearance might be virtually postponed. He is kept at the Kgosi Mampuru Maximum Correctional Centre. This will then allow for the continuation of bail for the 5 accused. On Thursday 11 May, Magudumana reserved her right to apply for bail whilst her father Zolile Sekeleni is out on R10 000 bail.

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