The Free State High Court dismissed Nandipha Magudumana's bail refusal appeal on Tuesday (7/11).

High Court Acting Judge Melisa Jordaan this morning delivered her judgment on Magudumana’s appeal against Bloemfontein Magistrate Estelle de Lange, dismissing the legal team’s version that Magistrate De Lange misdirected her judgment. Magudumana's legal defence lawyer, Adv. Machini Motloung, approached the Free State High Court on Wednesday (1/11) to challenge the bail refusal by acting Magistrate Estelle de Lange.

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Motloung argued that Magistrate De Lange misdirected herself and erred when she refused Magudumana bail. When refusing her bail in August, De Lange said Magudumana was a flight risk and nothing could potentially stop her from planning another Thabo Bester prison escape. Magudumana’s legal team supplied the High Court judge with at least 17 grounds as to why their client must be granted bail.

Magudumana is among nine suspects arrested for aiding Bester to escape. Nine suspects, including accused 1, Senohe Matsoara, are out on R10,000 bail. Only Magudumana, Bester, and an illegal immigrant from Zimbabwe, Zando Moyo, remain in custody.

Her lawyers, during her bail application at the Magistrate’s Court, accused the state of lying and contradicting itself on the affidavit of the state witness and the charge sheet.

Magudumana and Bester fled the country via Zimbabwe and were arrested in Arusha, Tanzania, en route to Kenya. They were brought back to the country in April when she appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court and was remanded in custody. Bester was transferred to the Kgosi Mampuru II Maximum Centre in Pretoria.

OFM News/Lucky Nkuyane corne/Morné