Nandipha Magudumana expected back in court for bail application to continue

Nandipha Magudumana is applying for bail in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court. Picture: Timothy Bernard/African News Agency (ANA)

Nandipha Magudumana is applying for bail in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court. Picture: Timothy Bernard/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Sep 4, 2023

Share

Dr Nandipha Magudumana's quest for bail is expected to continue on Monday in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court.

The bail application was set out for two days last week, but the proceedings were not concluded in time and additional time was allocated for Monday.

Magudumana was arrested in April, along with her convicted murderer boyfriend Thabo Bester, who is also known as the Facebook rapist.

Bester, with the help of at least 12 people, allegedly including Magudumana and former G4S employees, escaped from the privately-run Mangaung Correctional Centre in May last year after he managed to fake his own fiery death.

Magudumana is facing multiple charges of fraud, violating a body, corruption, arson, assisting an inmate to escape, harbouring and concealing an escaped prisoner, and defeating the ends of justice.

Last week, the court heard evidence from Investigating Officer Colonel Tieho Flyman, who is based at the SA Police Services’ Organised Crime Division in Bloemfontein, who submitted an affidavit detailing how Magudumana was a flight risk, how she allegedly assisted Bester to escape and how she was facing over R20 million in fraud charges in different cases around the country.

The State has argued the charges against her are serious and must be treated as a Schedule 5 offence, which has a much stricter threshold for bail, while her defence has tried to convince the court the charges were in fact a Schedule 1 offence.

Magudumana also submitted an affidavit to the court last week, claiming she had in fact been kidnapped and forced into the vehicle by Bester and that she had no desire to flee the country.

The bail application is expected to continue.

Other accused in the Bester matter are former G4S prison warder Senohe Matsoara, Zanda Moyo, Zolile Cornelius Sekeleni, former Integritron Integrated Solutions camera technician Teboho Lipholo, suspended G4S employee Tieho Frans Makhotsa, former G4S guard Buti Masukela, suspended G4S employee Natassja Jansen and G4S employees, Joel Makhetha, Moeketsi Ramolula and Thabang Mier, were granted bail.

IOL