Johannesburg - Dr Nandipha Magudumana’s father, Zolile Sekeleni, spent his night at home with his family yesterday after being granted R10 000 bail.
Sekeleni, 65, will return to court on May 16, together with convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester.
Bester appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Friday. His case was postponed to next month. He is currently housed at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Tshwane.
But Sekeleni’s daughter, Magudumana, who is Bester’s girlfriend, and two other accused, former G4S employee Senohe Matsoara and CCTV technician Tebogo Lipholo, will remain in custody until they can apply for bail on May 3 and 4 at the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court. The four are facing various charges in relation to Bester’s escape.
When they entered the dock, Magudumana was covering her face with a surgical face mask and a hoodie, Lipholo was handcuffed and Sekeleni in shackles.
It was interesting to see the father and daughter reuniting in the dock.
Sekeleni appeared stronger, while Magudumana was emotional.
Her relatives were in the court; one called her name, but she remained looking down until her father alerted her that their relatives were greeting her. She looked back, waved and blew kisses to them.
Her body language showed her discomfort of being in the situation she was in. She was seen clenching her fists.
There were moments the father and daughter were seen chatting before magistrate Mohlolo Khabisi arrived in court.
When the court was in session, the State requested Magudumana to show her face to prove it was her. She pulled down the surgical mask and opened up her hoodie. Journalists grabbed the opportunity to capture her face before she could cover it again.
Many people wondered if it was necessary for her to cover her face.
Legal expert Nthabiseng Dubazana told The Star that Magudumana had no reason to cover her face. “She has no reason, well, except maybe health, to be covered,” said Dubazana.
Khabisi said accused number one, three and four were remanded in custody until May 3 and 4 for their bail application. “All three of you will remain in custody,” he said.
Khabisi said accused number two (Sekeleni) was released on R10 000 bail on condition that he reports once a week to Port Edward police station, between 8am and 4pm, and he may not leave the magisterial district of Port Edward without reporting to a specific officer.
“You are ordered not to contact directly or indirectly state witnesses. You are further warned to come back to this court on May 16, 2023.”
Khabisi issued a stern warning to Sekeleni about the importance of adhering to bail conditions.
“Failure to adhere to the conditions as set out by this court will lead to a warrant of arrest being issued against you, and they may be cancelled and (you will) be kept in custody,” said Khabisi.
Sekeleni told Khabisi that he understood.
The State withdrew the murder charge against Sekeleni after receiving more evidence. They came to the conclusion that there was nothing linking him to the murder charge.
Sekeleni is only facing charges of aiding and abetting a convicted criminal, defeating the ends of justice and fraud.
Magudumana and Bester were tracked down and arrested in Arusha, Tanzania, more than a week ago, and both have appeared in court for various serious charges.
Magudumana faces charges of aiding a prison escape, violation of corpses, fraud as well as multiple murder charges.
Bester escaped from G4S-run Mangaung Correctional facility in May last year amid faking his death in his cell, number 35. It then emerged that a corpse of an unknown man was placed in the cell before setting it alight. Reports revealed that the person died due to a blunt force trauma to the head.
Bester’s escape left the government embarrassed, with the correctional service ministry accused of incompetence.
Shocking revelations were heard by MPs at the justice and correctional services portfolio committee in Parliament last week. It was also revealed that Bester did not have an identity book and that Magudumana had visited him from 2017 until November 2021, just a few months before he “walked out” of the prison.
DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach said the country should be angry at the failure of DCS and security company G4S.
The Star