Pretoria – South African authorities on Saturday confirmed that fugitives Thabo Bester and his partner Dr. Nandipha Magudumana have been arrested in Tanzania.
Speaking to reporters, Police Minister Bheki Cele said the fugitives were arrested together with an unnamed Mozambique national. He said Interpol had assisted in the matter.
General Cele said SA authorities were alerted by their Tanzanian counterparts that Bester and Dr. Magudumana were arrested Friday night.
He said the fugitives were followed by Tanzanian law enforcers from their hotel in Dar es Salaam as they headed for Arusha.
The fugitives, who were travelling in a black SUV, were arrested about 10km before they could reach the Tanzania border with Kenya.
They were found with several passports – none of which had been stamped by any border authority.
Bester dubbed the “Facebook Rapist” escaped from prison last year by faking his death.
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Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said Bester also faces a charge of murder regarding the burnt body found in his cell after he escaped.
The body has not yet been identified.
Minister Lamola said bringing Bester back was a “straight deportation” because he is a convicted person.
He also revealed that a warrant of arrest for assisting Bester to escape had already been issued for Dr. Magudumana.
The minister said top SA officials will leave for Tanzania on Sunday to “explore all avenues” of how to bring back the arrested trio.
