‘I would have noticed if my son had extra money,’ says father of prison official

The father of Teboho Lipholo, one of the two prison officials fingered in assisting “Facebook rapist” Thabo Bester to escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre, said he was bitterly disappointed in his son, whom the dad helped to secure the job as CCTV technician at the centre.

Sabata Lipholo, 65, who spoke exclusively to TimesLIVE Premium at his Bloemanda home on Monday after his son’s court appearance in the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court, said he still does not know what his son had done after he handed himself over to the police.

Lipholo, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, her father Zolile Cornelius Sekeleni, and former G4S prison warder Senohe Matsoara appeared on charges of murder, fraud and aiding and abetting a prisoner to escape custody.

Sekeleni was granted R10,000 bail after the state withdrew a charge of murder against him. He is expected back in court on May 15.

“On the day he handed himself over to the police, he just told me that I would learn about what he did in the coming days. He did not tell me. He just said that he did something wrong and needed to see the police.

“I just thought maybe he went to work drunk, or didn’t go to work on the day he was meant to, but I did not think he was involved in this Bester saga,” said Sabata.

His son, a suspended employee of Integritron Integrated Solutions (IIS), which provides the correctional centre with security and surveillance, is alleged to have compromised the CCTV system that would have captured Bester’s escape on May 3 2022.

I don’t know what happened because he did not tell me. But what I know is that my son is a good child. He is quiet and has always kept to himself.

—  Sabata Lipholo

Sabata, who also worked for IIS before retiring, occupied the same position of assistant technician just like his son, but failed to understand how he could have been tempted to partake in such an elaborate escape plan.

“I got him that job when I was about to retire 10 years ago. He has been working for that company and in that prison faithfully since then. I don’t know what happened because he did not tell me. But what I know is that my son is a good child. He is quiet and has always kept to himself,” he said.

Sabata said though his son is accused of aiding Bester in his escape, he has never displayed signs of opulence over the past two years and that he would have noticed because his son is “reckless with money and he would have splurged”.

“He does not know how to manage his finances. I would have noticed [that he had extra money] because he would have wanted people to see that he has money. But he is poor, he even supports me, his wife and his three children,” said Sabata.

“Even on the day he and his wife made their marriage official before the courts last year, he did not have any celebrations. He went there and then came home to have lunch and that was it.”

TimesLIVE Premium spoke to Lipholo’s neighbours, who concurred with Sabata, saying they barely saw the 44-year-old because he was an introvert who did not engage much with community members.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said they were shocked when they saw Lipholo appear in the media as a co-accused in the Bester matter.

“This guy is sweet and quiet. He doesn’t like flashy things. He just focuses on work and his family, so I was surprised to see him on TV appearing next to Dr Nandipha,” said the one neighbour.

Another neighbour said Lipholo, unlike Matsoara, did not have a flashy vehicle or a fancy house. “This man drives an old [Toyota] Tazz that breaks down often. It’s hard to believe that he made any money from Bester’s escape. If he did, then he has been keeping it a secret and not showing off,” said the neighbour.

Lipholo, Magudumana and Matsoara had their matter postponed until May 3 for a bail application.

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