Family of man whose body was used in Thabo Bester's escape to open a case against government, G4S

25 April 2023 - 12:59
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Soccer fan and father of two Katlego Bereng, whose body was used in Thabo Bester's escape from prison.
Soccer fan and father of two Katlego Bereng, whose body was used in Thabo Bester's escape from prison.
Image: Social media

ActionSA will on Tuesday help the family of the man whose body was used as a decoy in Thabo Bester's brazen escape from prison to open a case against G4S and the departments of health and correctional services. 

Chairperson for the party in the Free State Patricia Kopane said they wanted to assist the family to get to the bottom of what happened to their son. 

On Sunday, police identified the charred body found in cell 35 of the Mangaung Correctional Centre last year, initially said to be that of Bester, as that of Katlego Bereng.

According to Bereng's family, they reported him missing to police in May last year, after he disappeared in March. They started their search for him at government mortuaries and it was only after they could not find him that they registered a missing person case with police.  

Kopane told TimesLIVE there were protocols for how hospital staff should deal with unidentified patients. 

“We feel that a lot of people didn't do what they were supposed to do.

“Police say Katlego collapsed in town and he was taken to hospital. We want reports from the paramedics who treated him at the scene, to the doctor who attended him at the emergency unit.

“How did his body get to Mangaung prison? How did it leave the government mortuary? Who signed off for the body? The department of health has regulations guiding the responsibilities of pathology services on the collection or removal of bodies from their premises,” she said. 

Bereng's father, Batho Mpholo, told TimesLIVE the family were yet to see his son's remains. 

“Police have not yet showed us his body because they said they are still busy with their investigations. What we know so far is that it is confirmed he is burnt beyond recognition,” Mpholo said. 

He said the family was unable to proceed with funeral arrangements as there was no indication from police when they would release the body. 

“That is also holding us back because we can't do anything.”  

Mpholo said they were grateful for ActionSA's assistance. 

“We don't know some of these things and they are all clued up, so we take guidance from them,” he said. 

TimesLIVE

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