The five suspects accused of aiding and abetting Thabo Bester’s prison break will return to the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court for what should be the conclusion of the bail hearing, on Monday, 29 May 2023.
UPDATE: This article was updated with the latest live stream feed. See below – Monday, 29 May 2023.
WATCH LIVE: Thabo Bester suspects bail hearing on Monday, 29 May 2023
Senohe Matsoara, Teboho James Lipholo, Buti Masukela, Tieho Frans Makhotsa and Natassja Jansen will huddle at the dock to face closing arguments, where the state will argue against their conditional release.
Proceedings are expected to kick off at 12:00 and you can tune into the live stream below:
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Dr Nandipha challenges arrest, claims she was ‘abducted’
Dr Nandipha Magudumana has taken swift legal action by filing urgent court papers at the Bloemfontein High Court, contesting the lawfulness of her arrest and subsequent deportation from Tanzania on 8 April 2023.
As reported by Sunday World, in her plea, she insists that the state must provide her with the extradition papers pertaining to her case in Tanzania.
The court documents submitted by Magudumana name several respondents, including Police Minister Bheki Cele, Captain Tieho Flyman, and Magistrate Mohlolo Khabisi, among others.
These individuals are implicated in her legal challenge against the circumstances surrounding her arrest and deportation.
Magudumana was apprehended in Tanzania alongside her partner, the fugitive Thabo Bester, and a Mozambique national. Bester had managed to escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre on 3 May 2022, cleverly staging his death in a prison cell fire. The arrest took place as they were reportedly making plans to cross the border into Kenya.
Subsequent investigations revealed that the charred body found in Bester’s torched prison cell belonged to 31-year-old Katlego Bereng, further complicating the already convoluted case.
As a result of her alleged involvement in Bester’s escape, Magudumana currently remains in custody at the Kroonstad women’s prison.
The forthcoming court hearing, scheduled for Thursday, 25 May 2023, will serve as a critical juncture in determining the legal path for Magudumana.
During her previous virtual court appearance, her legal representatives reserved the right to apply for bail, signifying the complexity and gravity of the charges she faces.
Meanwhile, the main matter involving Bester, Magudumana and her father, Zolile Sekeleni was postponed to 20 June 2023.