POLL | Do you believe police will find Thabo Bester?

27 March 2023 - 13:00
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Facebook rapist 'Thabo Bester' is on the run after his audacious escape.
Facebook rapist 'Thabo Bester' is on the run after his audacious escape.
Image: Supplied

Facebook rapist Thabo Bester's daring escape has drawn sharp debate on the role of prison and police officials, and questions on whether he will be caught.

Bester was convicted of murder and two counts of rape after luring women via Facebook.

He was serving a life sentence when he escaped from the Mangaung maximum-security prison last year by setting his cell alight. A dead body was found in the room and officials announced Bester's death at the time.

He has since reportedly been spotted living in the lap of luxury, including renting a R12m mansion, partying it up and going on shopping trips.

After GroundUp reported on him possibly being alive and well, questions were raised about his escape.

Correctional services confirmed his prison break on the weekend.

A postmortem conducted on the body that burnt beyond recognition in cell 35 at Mangaung Correctional Centre revealed it was an adult male with blunt force trauma to his head. The postmortem report further revealed that there were no signs of smoke inhalation in the body,” it said.

“Furthermore, it uncovered that the pancreas and the spleen in the body were in the early stages of decomposition. Over and above that, the DNA sequencing with a person identified to be the mother of Bester failed to indicate a common ancestor or a match.”

Their confirmation drew questions about the role of prison officials in the escape and whether law enforcement would be able to recapture Bester.

Some claimed police were already working hard on the case and had evidence to follow, while others said Bester was always one step ahead.

A few said it was all talk and there is no willpower to find the criminal.

Build One SA leader Mmusi Maimane, the EFF, and The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) joined the public outrage over the escape.

Maimane said police and correctional services should account and called on justice minister Ronald Lamola and police minister Bheki Cele to hold a press briefing to explain how they will protect the public. 

“We need a new minister of police immediately. Thabo Bester held live-streams from prison, faked his death, was living large in Sandton and the government is now asking the public to help them catch him. They showed us drones on Monday — use that technology to catch this murderer,” said Maimane

The EFF said Bester's escape was testament to the incompetence of the correctional services system, and endangered the lives of women in SA.

“We call for a massive manhunt to be conducted by the SA Police Service, in conjunction with intelligence services, to track and apprehend Thabo Bester. Furthermore, all those who were employed at Mangaung Correctional Centre during the period of Bester's imprisonment and his escape must immediately be brought in for questioning,” said the EFF.

Popcru spokesperson Richard Mamabolo claimed the escape showed management of the correctional centre tried to “brush the matter under the carpet. This further raises questions as to whom the burnt body belongs and how it found itself in cell 35.

“This brings to question the level of responsibility the department of correctional services takes in monitoring, and the functionality of controllers it appoints to ensure that contractual obligations with these private prisons are not violated, in line with the prescripts of the Correctional Services Act.”

PODCAST | Thabo Bester is a 21st century headache for correctional services

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