Facebook rapist and murderer, Thabo Bester, and his companion Dr Nandipha Magudumana were in possession of several passports with different names when they were arrested in Tanzania on Friday night.
The arrests were confirmed by Minister of Police Bheki Cele during a media briefing in Tshwane over the weekend also attended by Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamoa and the National Commissioner Fannie Masemola.
Cele said law enforcement agencies worked together in a bid to clamp down on the two fugitives and they were arrested enroute to another country.
“It was found when they were arrested that they were in the country (Tanzania) illegally.They were spotted by people working with South Africa and they were followed as they left the hotel in a black SUV.
“They were leaving Tanzania, actually they were leaving for Dar es Salaam. They were followed until they were found in Arusha.It was also discovered there that they had several passports with different names,” said Cele.
Bester and his girlfriend Magudumana were sought by law enforcement officials after the convicted rapist escaped from a private maximum security prison in Mangaung, Free State last month after feigning his death by allegedly burning a dead body in his cell.
Police confirmed that the body that was found burnt in the prison was not Bester. Magudumana later claimed the body as that of her relative.
It is also alleged Magudumana has claimed two other bodies from the morgues were her relatives. One body was allegedly found floating in the river with a Free State morgue tag on it, a body that she had allegedly claimed for burial.
Lamola said Bester will be deported back into South Africa to come and serve his sentence and that Magudumana has a warrant of arrest issued by the SAPS and also another Interpol-related matter.
A team from the South African security cluster was expected to depart for Tanzania on Sunday to identify Bester and Magudumana to proceed with the process of bringing back the fugitives to face justice in a case that has garnered a lot of public interest.
