Justice Minister Ronald Lamola has warned those implicated in the Thabo Bester escape saga that they will be held accountable. The convicted rapist and murderer faked his death to escape from the Mangaung correctional center.
Bester was arrested in Tanzania with partner Nandipha Magudumana. At the same time, Lamola says the G4S contract at the Mangaung facility is being re-evaluated.
The department pays G4S R45m every month to run the Mangaung correctional center, whercentericted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester escaped last year. Lamola was speaking to JJ Tabane on Power to Truth on Tuesday.
G4S employee Senohe Matsoara, CCTV operator Tebogo James Lipholo, and Dr. Nandipha Magudumana's father have all been detained.
MPs chastised police senior management last week for their inadequate response to Bester's escape and the poor pace of investigations, even though they were the first to suspect Bester's death in Cell 35.
Bheki Cele stated that after four persons appeared in court on Monday, with Bester being the fifth, further arrests were likely.
Sekeleni appeared briefly in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court on Monday and was given R10,000 bail. The bail terms specify that he must report to the Port Edward police station once a week, stay inside the Port Edward magisterial district, and not contact specific witnesses.
Sekeleni appeared with his daughter, Magudumana, co-accused and former G4S jail warder Matsoara, and Integration CCTV technician Lipholo.
Magudumana, Matsoara, and Lipholo were detained until their bail application on May 3 and 4, 2023.
