Thabo Bester Biography, Wikipedia, Age, Early Life, Education, Career, Family, Personal Life, Facts, Trivia, Legacy, Real Name, Parents, Wife

Thabo Bester Biography

Born on June 13, 1986, Thabo Bester is a convicted felon from South Africa who broke out of the Mangaung Correctional Centre in May 2022 by pretending to die in a fire in his cell. He eluded capture for nearly a year until being apprehended in Arusha, Tanzania on April 8, 2023. Famous doctor Nandipha Magudumana, his partner and suspected accomplice, was also taken into custody. Bester earned the moniker “Facebook rapist” due to his use of the social media site to entice models with fictitious job postings. After entering a guilty plea to two rapes and one murder, he was given a life sentence.

Thabo Bester Age

Thabo Bester was born on November 5, 1979, according to certain reports. Thus, as of May 2022, he will be 42 years old.

On the other hand, some sources claim that he was born in 1988 and is currently 33 years old.

Thabo Bester life

Bester’s criminal activity and con artistry have earned him notoriety. Throughout his criminal career, he has gone by several aliases. He was incarcerated for two years at the age of 19 for fraud before he broke his parole, raped two models, and killed his lover, Nomfundo Tiyhulu. He entered guilty pleas to the 2012 murder and the 2011 rapes. He received a life sentence in prison.

Imprisonment and escape

Bester was detained at the private maximum security Mangaung Correctional Centre in South Africa, which is owned and operated by the international security firm G4S. Bester operated a phony media and events company named 21st Century Media while he was incarcerated. The organization pretended to be a division of the global media conglomerate 21st Century Fox. Phumudzo Thenga was the company’s only director, but Bester is thought to have been actively involved, giving directions by text message while incarcerated.

The company was the focus of a media backlash in 2018 after misrepresenting Halle Berry and Taraji P. Henson as guest speakers at an event. On Twitter, Henson and Berry refuted the allegations, claiming the event never happened. Later, Thenga withdrew herself from the business, claiming that Bester had conned her.

Bester was pronounced dead on May 3, 2022, following the discovery of his body, charred beyond recognition, in his cell at the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein following a fire. On the same day, the Department of Correctional Services made public his death and stated that he had taken his own life. Marecia Damons’ piece for the South African news outlet GroundUp in October 2022 raised concerns over the Bester death inquiry. GroundUp released a follow-up piece by Damons in January 2023, stating post-mortem findings regarding the body discovered in Bester’s cell, which revealed the victim was deceased prior to the fire starting. The GroundUp story also disclosed that a murder investigation had been initiated by the police.

A third article by Marecia Damons and Daniel Steyn appeared in GroundUp on March 15, 2023, and it included evidence that Bester had staged his death in the fire and made an escape from prison. The story also discussed a legal action taken by well-known physician Nandipha Magudumana to retrieve the body discovered in the cell—at the time thought to be Bester’s—from the custody of the government. Magudumana claimed to be Bester’s customary law wife in her court filings.

Another story by Damons and Steyn including images of Bester and Magudumana shopping in a Woolworths supermarket in Sandton City was released on March 17, 2023. Following public outcry, the Department of Correctional Services acknowledged a week later that Bester had broken out of jail.

Fidelity, a private security company, posted a R100,000 reward on Facebook for any information that resulted in Bester’s arrest and conviction. Police subsequently confirmed in April 2023 that Katlego Bereng Mpholo, who had vanished in April 2022, was the person whose remains had been burned.

In April 2023, Edwin Cameron, the inspecting judge for correctional services, testified before parliament that he was the source of the information that was leaked to GroundUp.

Life after prison and rearrest

Bester and Nandipha Magudumana shared a rented mansion in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, following Bester’s escape from prison. He went by the alias TK Nkwana. Through their fraudulent real estate company, Arum Properties, Bester and Magudumana duped a number of people into paying deposits on unfinished development projects.

Tanzanian officials detained Bester and Magudumana in Arusha, Tanzania, on April 8, 2023. After being deported, the couple returned to South Africa a few days later. Eight people were facing charges in relation to Bester’s escape as of May 2023.

Thabo Bester Citizenship

Bester never had a South African citizenship record on file with the Department of Home Affairs. According to Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi, Bester was found in possession of an American passport while posing as Tom Williams Kelly when he was apprehended in Tanzania in April 2023. Bester was born on June 13, 1986, in Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, but according to Motsoaledi, he was never listed on the National Population Register. Motsoaledi said on May 22, 2023, that Bester had been provided with an identity document and had been put to the National Population Register.

Thabo Bester Girlfriend- Dr Nandi

It is rumored that Thabo Bester’s girlfriend is the attractive Dr. Nandipha Mogudumana. Popularly, the celebrity physician is often referred to as Dr. Nandi.

Many assume Dr. Nandi is dating Bester because of the media attention she received when she was seen shopping with the Facebook rapist.

Additionally, Dr. Nandi went to collect Thabo’s body after his staged death, claiming to be his wife. but was unexpectedly spotted in a Woolworths store in June of last year with him.

The duo is rumored to be on the run ever since the relationship between Dr. Nandipha and Thabo became public.

What happened to Thabo Bester?

It was announced on May 3, 2022, that he had passed away in his cell from what appeared to be a fire breakout. But in the latter part of last year, officials began to question his death. The authorities opened an investigation in March 2023 when more testing showed the wanted criminal was still alive.

Who is Thabo Bester married to?

Magudumana claimed to be Bester’s customary law wife in her court filings.

How Bester made his money?

Thabo Bester, a murderer and convicted rapist who escaped from jail on May 3, 2022, co-owned “Arum Properties,” a building fraud, with celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana. The couple never provided the goods, despite having persuaded other people to pay millions of rands for construction projects.

Who helped Thabo Bester escape?

Advocate Amanda Bester, the state prosecutor (who is unrelated to the defendants) dropped the accusations against Moeketsi Ramolula, Thabang Mier, and Nastassja Jansen, the prison warders, during the hearing. Less serious accusations pertaining to helping the escape were brought against the 12 defendants.

How much is Thabo Bester worth?

Depending on the rand’s conversion rate with different currencies, Bester may have had movable goods worth over R30 million on him if his allegations are true. Many of these possessions, such as cars and rental homes, were probably acquired during the year he spent out of jail.