The legal saga continues for Dr. Nandipha Magudumana and those implicated in the Thabo Bester prison break. Image credit: Heidrè Malgas.
(The Post News) – In order to prevent the main case from starting this year, the trial of Thabo Bester, a convicted rapist and killer, and his co-accused has been postponed once more. Bester’s frequent attorney changes and a significant constitutional court petition by his suspected accomplice, Dr. Nandipha Magudumana, are among the legal complications that have caused the most recent postponement, which was made to December 5.
In what was supposed to be an update on trial readiness, Bester, Magudumana, and their seven co-accused appeared in the Free State High Court today. Fraud, corruption, aiding an escapee, and assaulting the body of Katlego Bereng Mpholo whose body used as a decoy in Bester’s complex prison break in May 2022 are among the 38 counts against them.
Bester’s frequent terminations of legal counsel are a major factor in the case’s continuous delays. He named his fifth legal team on Friday, the fifth since his 2023 re-arrest. Advocate Mo-Afrika Wa Maila, his new attorney, informed the court that legal teams were “terminated” instead of leaving on their own choice. “We get terminated, my lady, and we can’t force ourselves to be in court when we are terminated,” Wa Maila said. “We don’t just withdraw.”
The Constitutional Court’s legal challenge against Dr. Magudumana, however, continues to be the biggest obstacle to the start of the trial. Her appeal contests her deportation from Tanzania, where she was arrested in April 2023 together with Bester. The main trial cannot begin until this constitutional issue is settled, which is not anticipated to happen before the year is out, according to state prosecutor Amanda Bester.
The family of the late Katlego Bereng Mpholo has been especially hurt by the long waits. The family has expressed their annoyance, stating that the constant postponement of the court dates has lowered their early hope for quick resolution. Political leaders have also commented on the case’s slow development, with Patricia Kopane, chairman of ActionSA’s Free State, highlighting the significance of holding all involved parties completely accountable.
The court has postponed the matter to December 5 for another update on the status of Magudumana’s Constitutional Court bid and the overall trial readiness.
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