The man, who is named on the police charge sheet, is believed to have helped or aided Nandipha Magudumana to fraudulently and falsely claim the body of Bereng from the National Hospital in Bloemfontein. 

He allegedly lied to officials that Bereng was his brother from Zimbabwe, Themba Ndlovu, who was a taxi driver. 

Bereng's body was later found in Cell 35 in the Mangaung Correctional Centre (MCC) prison, under the guard of the British company G4S. 

The body was found burnt beyond recognition with blunt force trauma. It was used as a decoy for Bester to escape on 3 May 2022. The 31-year-old is expected to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court on Tuesday 13 June 2023 to face charges of aiding and abetting Bester to escape.

A police official Tieho Flyman, who was a key state witness during the bail proceedings, said 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, Nandipha 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 said during the escape Bester was handed a G4S uniform and he walked off 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.

'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 instead found three bags of 10kg maize flour in the casket.

The 31-year-old Zimbabwean was arrested on Sunday morning in Johannesburg. So far nine people have been arrested in this case and only two are out on bail of R10 000.  

On 29 May 2023, the Bloemfontein Magistrate Mohlolo Khabisi denied bail for four of the five suspects linked to the escape of  Bester from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in May 2022.

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The acting Magistrate Khabisi denied accused 1 Senohe Matsoara, accused 3 Teboho James Lipholo, accused 6 Motanyane John Masukela, and accused 7 Tieho Frans Makhotsa bail. The case was postponed to 20 June 2023 for further investigations and the other co-accused's appearance.

Some of the accused, including Matsoara, have been in custody for over 50 days since their arrest in April 2023. They are charged with aiding the convicted Facebook rapist and murder convict to escape from lawful custody in the Broadway block of cells at the Mangaung Correctional Centre under the guard of G4S.

They face several charges including aiding and abetting the escape of a prisoner, defeating the ends of justice, arson and violating a corpse.

After his escape, Bester allegedly lived in luxury in Johannesburg. He was arrested in Tanzania along with Magudumana. They were brought back to South Africa on 13 April 2023.

Magudumana was transferred to the Free State where she made her first appearance at the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court. She was remanded in court and has been in custody ever since.

Magudumana has reserved her right to bail application. She has since re-applied to Free State High Court to appeal Judge Philip Loubser's verdict which dismissed her case over her alleged unlawful and unconstitutional arrest.

ALSO READ: High Court bid of Thabo Bester's Girlfriend unsuccessful

Seven officials linked to the Bester escape have been suspended. It's understood that 23 officials were on duty at the time of Bester's escape.

OFM News