Thabo Bester’s daring escape from Mangaung prison was at the centre of the grilling G4S bosses faced during Wednesday’s Parliamentary portfolio committee on Justice and Correctional Services.
Here’s a detailed timeline of Thabo Bester prison escape
The convicted serial rapist and murderer, along with his fugitive lover, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, were arrested in Arusha, Tanzania, on Friday, 7 April 2023, more than 11 months after the couple pulled off one of the most sophisticated prison escapes ever recorded in history.
While in Tanzania, a team of South African delegates are locked in complex diplomatic talks over the couple’s extradition, in Parliament, members of the portfolio committee on justice and correctional services grilled G4S heads Cobus Groenewoud, Joseph Monyante and Gert Beyleveld about the colossal failures of the security company in turning a blind eye to Bester’s prison break, which, evidence suggests, was not only avoidable but also involved top-level cooperation from high-ranking employees.
G4S’ top brass made several shocking admissions that were coincidentally not included in their 21-page report on their account of Bester’s daring escape.
For instance, two weeks before the night he broke out of prison, Bester had submitted an application to be moved to isolation due to fears for his life. However, before G4S could launch its procedure, and right after he had received a ‘secret’ visit, the Facebook rapist bizarrely withdrew his application.
As we will detail in the timeline below, Bester returned with his application on Friday, 29 April 2022, and was moved to isolation a day later, a decision that flouted procedure, the portfolio committee learned on Wednesday.
Also, there was the contentious issue of how the corpse discovered in Bester’s cell was smuggled into the prison. Already, we know Dr Nandipha’s father, Zolile Sekeleni and former G4S employee Senohe Motsoara appeared before a Bloemfontein magistrate, on Tuesday, on charges related to the death of the corpse, the arson that occurred inside Bester’s cell and his subsequent escape.
However, G4S heads revealed shocking details of how, on Friday, 29 April 2022, a vehicle carrying a TV stand cabinet gained unauthorised entry into the prison, was never checked and footage of the incident mysteriously disappeared from the prison’s servers.
At the portfolio committee meeting, G4S Auditor and Risk Director Beyleveld confirmed at least seven employees were dismissed for failing to follow due process on this day and possibly colluding in the smuggling of a corpse.
Here is a detailed timeline of Thabo Bester’s escape from Mangaung prison, according to G4S.
Saturday, 30 April 2022
Bester had applied for an isolation transfer and it was approved by an unnamed Department of Correctional Services (DCS) controller.
According to G4S, cell transfers are usually handled by officials from the Judicial Inspectorate for Corrections Services (JICS).
However, as Beyleveld revealed, Bester’s application came in after JICS officials working at Mangaung prison had knocked off for the long weekend, and the transfer request was treated with urgency.
Sunday, 1 May 2022
Bester, at this point, had spent a day in Isolation Cell 35, situated at the prison’s Broadway unit, with a personal laptop, which he was allowed to use to allegedly further his studies at Damelin College, and a cellphone he had smuggled.
Moreover, ongoing investigations suggest by this time, the corpse may have already been stored in a workshop close to Bester’s cell, which, coincidentally, was hardly visible from CCTV cameras.
Monday, 2 May 2022
At 19:30 on this day, G4S security officials conducted their fourth and final headcount, and after every inmate was accounted for, including Bester, all prison cells were locked for the night.
Around that time, an unnamed systems technician confirmed that Mangaung prison’s security network was operational.
Two control room officers were on duty that evening and their main responsibilities were to monitor camera footage, open doors and manage the prison’s security system.
However, hours later, all protocols would be breached to assist a convicted murderer and serial rapist pull off a brazen prison break.
Tuesday, 3 May 2022
At 02:30, plumes of thick smoke rose out of Bester’s cell. Bizarrely, however, G4S control room operators only logged and dispatched officials to extinguish the fire 90 minutes later, at 04:00.
The cell was cordoned off and DCS management was alerted of the incident.
At approximately 04:26, a nurse from Faranani Life Health Solutions arrived at the scene to provide aid to the inmate who occupied the cell. At 04:57, a DCS controller reported to the Broadway unit, along with Mangaung prison’s Operations Director, four minutes later.
At approximately 05:10, Faranani Life Health Solutions dispatched a doctor to the scene, who examined the charred body and certified the death of Bester.
It was only at 06:55, more than four hours after Bester had left the facility, possibly using a nearby emergency fire exit, that a team of SAPS officials arrived at the scene.
According to G4S’ report, it took SAPS officials four hours to examine the scene and transfer the corpse to a state mortuary. That afternoon, the cell was returned to the control of G4S and it was during the process of collecting Bester’s belongings that authorities discovered the laptop and an unauthorised cellphone.
Wednesday, 4 May 2022
A day after the incident, a forensic pathologist from the Department of Health issued a notice of death for Bester, confirming the charred corpse was, indeed, the convicted Facebook rapist.
However, on that day, Mangaung prison staff alerted police about the suspicious smell of petrol emanating from Bester’s belongings.
Thursday, 5 May 2022
A team of SAPS officials returned to Mangaung prison to inspect Bester’s belongings and an inquest docket was established to rule out foul play in the fire at Cell 35.
Friday, 6 May 2022
Despite rising suspicions about the fire, the Department of Home Affairs issued a death certificate for Bester.
Sunday, 8 May 2022
SAPS’ forensic team returned to Mangaung prison to collect Bester’s belongings, including his laptop and cellphone.
Tuesday, 17 May 2022
By then, Mangaung prison had launched an independent investigation into the unnatural death that occurred at Cell 35, and their request for a copy of the corpse’s post-mortem report was declined by the SAPS, for reasons not specified.
Wednesday, 25 May 2022
It was only 22 days after Bester had escaped that SAPS updated its inquest docket to homicide after a second autopsy conducted on the corpse revealed that the victim was killed by blunt force trauma to the head before he was torched.
Of course, based on explosive investigations by GroundUp, it was discovered months later that by this time, Bester was living as a free man under several fake identities, and in the company of Dr Nandipha, at a Hyde Park rental.
Further evidence provided by G4S revealed that SAPS only returned to the security company with the requested autopsy report in June 2022.
Moreover, according to G4S, SAPS had launched an investigation into Bester’s escape in January 2023, months before GroundUp surfaced with its explosive report, and JICS was in possession of DNA evidence that proved the corpse found in Bester’s cell was a John Doe, and not the Facebook rapist.
G4S’ top brass was still being grilled on its role in Bester’s prison escape when this article was published.
Tune into the live proceedings below:
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