Cape Town - Justice and Constitutional Services Minister Ronald Lamola on Thursday apologised for the government's failure to communicate Facebook rapist Thabo Bester’s escape on time.
“I want to take this opportunity to apologise to the victims of convicted rapist Thabo Bester and the people of South Africa that he was let loose by G4S officials.
“As DCS (Department of Correctional Services) we take full responsibility for this as we’re the custodian of the Correctional Services Act on behalf of the people of South Africa,” Lamola said when briefing the justice and correctional services portfolio committee on Thursday.
Recaptured prisoner Bester pulled off an elaborate escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre (MCC) last May.
Bester and his “customary wife” Nandipha Magudumana were deported back to South Africa after they were arrested in Tanzania last week.
Five other people have also been arrested, including one for questioning in connection with the Bester escape and related crimes.
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola told MPs that the police have, since the debacle, appointed an investigative team in the Free State that worked closely with the National Prosecuting Authority.
The saga started when a fire broke out in MCC in May 2022 and a charred body of a man was found and identified as Bester.
Free State police commissioner Lieutenant-General Baile Motswenyane said their investigation started as an inquest, but further charges were added, including murder.
This was after an officer noted that the body claimed by Magudumana was not the first in the province.
“The investigation further necessitated that the SAPS stop the cremation of the charred body and send a control sample for forensic tests,” she said.
Motswenyane said the police were now investigating charges of fraud, perjury, violation of a dead body, aiding and abetting escape and defeating the ends of justice.
MPs heard that Magudumana had claimed three bodies, including one she alleged was her father, brother of a friend and the one burnt in the prison which she wanted to be cremated.
MPs raised concerns that the public and Bester’s victims were not informed about his escape on time.
“Police sat on their hands and did nothing for six months so that DCE could run through prisons in Bloemfontein to see if Thabo Bester was not in another cell,” DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach said.
MPs heard that the unnatural death at the prison was reported to the Judicial Inspectorate of Correctional Services (Jics) on May 3, the same day there was fire in Bester’s cell and a charred body was found.
Inspecting Judge of Correctional Services Edwin Cameron said he had stressed the urgency and seriousness of the matter. “We insisted the matter be treated as an escape. We stressed the urgent public interest,” Cameron said.
Jics CEO Vick Misser gave an outline of their investigation and indicated that they were to produce a final report after receiving investigative reports from the department and G4S.
The timeline showed that Cameron wrote to Lamola in October notifying him that the alleged death of Bester appeared to be “highly untoward” and that “there were indications of collusion: G4S employees and others”.
The SAPS requested the autopsy and DNA case not be made public to give them a chance to complete their investigation.
It also told of delays in receiving investigative reports from G4S and the department until this year.
Responding to questions, Cameron said he and Lamola had a telephone conversation on the matter where he gave him an oral briefing.
“We wanted him and the deputy minister to activate officials over whom they have executive authority and to get things going,” Cameron said.
Lamola recalled that Cameron told him in October that he came across information which may indicate that Bester’s death might not be a suicide.
Cameron also said G4S also knew long before about Bester’s escape, “but was closing their eyes”.
The security company was informed in early November about the autopsy and DNA results, but it had claimed to have known in February this year.
“The people I alerted acted with care and caution and immense responsibility and scepticism,” he said regretting that he did not call a press conference to announce his preliminary findings.
“I am a little disappointed that the committee’s attention was not drawn to this matter earlier. We could have dealt with it sooner and quicker,” Cameron said.
“I concede that everyone should have been smarter, more on the ball quicker, more alarmed, more outraged, more dismayed and more urgent and I include myself,” he said.
Cape Times