The case against celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana has been postponed to April 17 for more information and a possible bail application.
Magudumana appeared before the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court on Thursday after she and her fugitive lover Thabo Bester were extradited from Tanzania, where they were nabbed trying to skip the border to Kenya on Friday last week.
Magudumana faces charges of defeating the ends of justice, aiding and abetting a fugitive, murder, violation of bodies, as well as fraud.
The doctor and convicted Facebook rapist and murderer Bester had been on the run since Bester’s escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in May 2022.
A South African delegation comprising officials from the Department of Justice and the police departed for Tanzania on Sunday to bring the fugitives back to South Africa.
Additional suspects were also apprehended by the police in their efforts to capture the couple. Among them is Zakaria Alberto, a Mozambican who is believed to have provided assistance to the couple.
On Wednesday, a CCTV technician contracted to a company that installs and maintains cameras at Mangaung Correctional Centre was nabbed for helping Bester to escape from jail.
Zolile Sekeleni, Magudumana’s father, and a former G4S employee Senohe Motsoara have also been arrested and appeared in court where they were charged with murder.
Meanwhile, Bester has been admitted to the Kgosi Mampuru C-max prison in Pretoria.
Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday morning, Police Minister Bheki Cele and Justice Minister Ronald Lamola confirmed the identity of the fugitive and affirmed that he would be placed under 24/7 surveillance.
“The technical team that was sent to Tanzania took his fingerprints and it matched the fingerprints on file. This satisfied Tanzanian officials,” Cele said.
“It has been forensically approved that it’s him and officials granted permission for him to leave Tanzania. And when he appears in court, you will see [that] it’s him.”
Lamola said: “We are grateful to all the role players seized with this matter thus far, this includes state agencies and members of the public who have shared information that has assisted in the detention of the two fugitives, following an extensive manhunt.
“Thus far, there is considerable progress with a number of arrests being effected.”
Magudumana has been remanded in custody until her next appearance when her father is also due for his second appearance.
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