Notorious 'Facebook Rapist' Thabo Bester Slipped Through Police Fingers While on the Run

A startling revelation has come to light involving Thabo Bester, notoriously known as the 'Facebook rapist', who after making a dramatic escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in South Africa, was detained and then inexplicably released by the police while he was a fugitive. Bester, whose escape from the maximum-security facility in May 2022 involved a feigned death, was on the lam when stopped for a traffic violation in July of the same year.

His audacious escape was allegedly facilitated by his girlfriend, celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana, and numerous prison officials. They concocted a scheme in which Bester switched places with a deceased inmate, creating the illusion of his own death in a cell fire. This intricate deception went unnoticed until he and Magudumana were arrested in April 2023.

The incident of Bester’s brief capture by the traffic police raises serious questions about the gaps in law enforcement procedures. Despite presenting a smart identity card under the false name Katlego Nkwana, which a traffic officer suspected was fraudulent, Bester was nonetheless able to walk free after a department of home affairs’ verification. He was detained on charges of fraud but released with a mere court appearance notice, which he predictably ignored, leading to the case being dismissed as 'nolle proseque' - meaning it would not be pursued.

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu disclosed these details in written responses to parliamentary inquiries, highlighting the apparent ease with which Bester managed to evade authorities, compounding frustrations about the initial escape. The lapse occurred despite the broad manhunt and high-profile nature of Bester's case.

In the wake of Bester's ultimate re-arrest, Pieter Groenewald, Minister of Correctional Services, conducted an intensive physical inspection of Mangaung Correctional Centre to ascertain the failures that led to the escape. The review identified multiple security breaches and implicated several staff members, pointing to a deeply rooted level of corruption and collusion.

This incident not only underscores the challenges law enforcement faces in combating sophisticated criminal plans but also serves as a critical wake-up call to tightening security measures and inter-agency communication within South Africa’s justice system. Continued scrutiny and overhaul of correctional services protocols will be imperative to staunch future such incidents, ensuring that dangerous individuals like Thabo Bester are kept securely behind bars.