Dr Nandipha Magudumana, in a shocking twist, requested her bail proceedings be rolled over to Wednesday, 16 May 2023, the day her lover Thabo Bester and her father Zolile Sekeleni are due in court.
Why did Dr Nandipha delay her bail application?
Thursday’s proceedings inside the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court took off on a startling note when lawyers representing the disgraced doctor reversed their decision to participate in the bail hearing.
Advocate Frans Dlamini informed the court that following Magudumana’s last court appearance, her defence was all but ready to present its case.
However, Dlamini revealed, the defence needed more time to ventilate new ‘material evidence’ “which is very crucial in relation to Accused 4’s matter.”
The nature of this new information remains unknown at this stage. But, during his submission, Advocate Dlamini let it slip that the defence needed more time to procure the evidence in question “in order for Accused 4 (Dr Nandipha) to be able to make a decisive decision in relation to this matter.”
“I also need to place it on record that Accused 4, becaus of the nature of the importance of that particular information, is also looking at the possibility of exploring other avenues of ventilating her rights outside this particular court,” Dlamini revealed.
Interestingly, the state did not challenge Magudumana’s request, suggesting possible cooperation between both parties, which may or may not, influence her role in the matter of Thabo Bester’s prison break.
Magudumana will return to court on Wednesday, 16 May 2023, alongside Bester and Sekeleni, where her defence will pronounce her next move.
Is she planning to reunite with Thabo Bester at the dock?
The last time Magudumana saw her convicted lover was at Lanseria Airport, in the wee hours of Thursday, 13 April 2023.
Questions linger on around Magudumana’s bizarre decision to move her case to Bester’s schedule. Remember, neither she nor her co-accused, including Bester, face charges related to the murder of Katlego Bereng.
Magudumana and the Facebook rapist also shared the legal services of Ishmail Attorneys, who withdrew from the case due to financial conflicts.
Magudumana has since recruited a team of attorneys, former Legal Aid head Machini Motloung and Advocate Dlamini. It remains to be seen if, perhaps, the doctor’s defence will go on record as co-representatives of Bester too.
You will recall the state’s case against Dr Nandipha paints her as a key figure in Bester’s eccentric lifestyle behind bars. Prison records show that before Magudumana surfaced, in and around 2017, the Facebook rapist held little-to-no influence at the Mangaung correctional facility.
Moreover, the state believed Magudumana was instrumental in aiding Bester’s prison break and subsequent cross-border escape to Tanzania.
It will surely be interesting to see what moves Dr Nandipha will pull off at her next court appearance, or, perhaps, if she and her lover will surface at the docks dressed in matching Nike gear.
Magudumana and her co-accused face charges related to fraud, violation of a body, corruption in terms of benefitting from a crime, corruption in terms of receiving benefits, arson, aiding an escape, harbouring and concealing an escaped offender, and defeating the ends of justice.
The same applies to Bester, who, in addition, faces a count of escaping from custody.