Thabo Bester is a South African convicted criminal who escaped from prison by faking his death in a fire in his cell in 2022. He was on the run for almost a year before being caught in Tanzania in 2023.
He was known as the “Facebook rapist” for using the social media platform to lure models with fake job opportunities.
He pleaded guilty to two rapes and one murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Thabo Bester Age
Thabo Bester was born on 13 June 1986. He is 37 years old as of April 2023.
Thabo Bester Cases
Thabo Bester is a South African convicted criminal who has been involved in several cases of fraud, rape, and murder. He is also known for his escape from prison by faking his death in a fire in his cell in 2022.
In 2007, he was arrested for fraud and spent two years in jail before breaking parole.
In 2011, he pleaded guilty to raping and robbing two models whom he lured with fake job offers on Facebook. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
In 2012, he pleaded guilty to raping and murdering his girlfriend, Nomfundo Thyulu, a model and aspiring actress. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
In 2022, he escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Centre by setting a fire in his cell and swapping his body with that of another inmate, Katlego Bereng, whom he had killed. He then fled the country with his lover, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, a celebrity doctor who allegedly masterminded the escape plan.
In 2023, he was recaptured in Arusha, Tanzania, after a tip-off from Interpol. He was extradited to South Africa and faced additional charges of arson, violation of a body, defeating the ends of justice, and fraud.
Eight suspects have been arrested for aiding Bester’s escape, including former prison warders, a camera technician, and Magudumana’s father. They face charges of fraud, corruption, arson, and more. Bester’s trial is still ongoing and he remains in custody.
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Who Helped Thabo Bester Escape?
Thabo Bester’s escape from prison was a complex and elaborate plot that involved several accomplices, including his girlfriend, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, a doctor who allegedly masterminded the plan. She is accused of stealing three bodies from mortuaries in the Free State and swapping one of them with Bester’s in his cell after he set a fire.
Other suspects who allegedly helped Bester escape are five former G4S employees who worked at the Mangaung Correctional Centre, where Bester was incarcerated. They are Senohe Motsoara, Teboho Lipholo, Matanyane Masukela, Tieho Makhotsa, and Nastassja Jansen. They are believed to have used their roles and expertise to facilitate Bester’s exit from the prison, such as opening the doors, transporting the corpse, and falsifying the records.
Thabo Bester Girlfriend
Thabo Bester’s girlfriend is Dr. Nandipha Magudumana, a celebrity doctor and socialite who allegedly helped him escape from prison by faking his death in a fire.
She is not currently registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and has been suspended from practising medicine since April 2021.
She is also facing a murder charge for her involvement in the jailbreak plot. She and Bester were arrested in Tanzania in April 2023 and extradited to South Africa.
Thabo Bester Net Worth and Assets
Thabo Bester’s net worth is not publicly known, but he has claimed to have assets worth R3 billion (about $200 million) that were allegedly seized by the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) in South Africa. However, this claim has been disputed by the AFU, and it is possible that Bester was lying or forging documents to attract lawyers to his case.
Bester and his partner, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, also ran a scam construction company that made millions of rand from unsuspecting clients who paid for projects that were never delivered. The couple rented out a mansion in Sandton and lived a lavish lifestyle until they fled the country after Bester’s escape from prison.
