Virtual court appearance for Bester and Magudumana

Convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester and his girlfriend made a virtual appearance in court yesterday because the department of justice and correctional services made an application, saying it would not be wise for the accused to be transported to court for a postponement, the NPA said.

Free State NPA spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said the state did not oppose the department’s application in which it stated it would not be wise to transport Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana for more than five hours to the court for a matter that would be postponed.

Bester, Magudumana, Magudumana’s father, Zolile Sekeleni, Senohe Motsoara, Teboho Lipholo, Motanyane Masukela, Tieho Makhotsa and Nastassja Jansen have been arrested in connection with Bester’s daring escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in May last year.

Shuping said Bester appeared in court virtually from the Kgosi Mampuru II Prison in Pretoria, while Magudumana appeared from the Bizzah Makhate Correctional Centre in Kroonstad.

“The issue was about transporting them for five and two hours [respectively], just for a few minutes’ appearance.

“They [the department] said they have to travel five and two hours to Bloemfontein just for a postponement, and it would not be wise to drive there for a few minutes’ appearance,” Shuping said.

A return trip from Kgosi Mampuru II Prison to the court is just over 10 hours while the distance from Bizzah Makhate to the court and back takes four hours 40 minutes.

Shuping said the application was only for yesterday’s court appearance.

He said he did not know what room Magudumana was in during her appearance.

Magudumana could be seen on visuals seated on a chair and behind her there was a shelf full of books.

During the escape, a body was smuggled into the prison in a kist and was set alight in Bester’s cell to make it look like he had died in the fire.