Original subtitles

A daring prison escape undetected for nearly a year...

The so-called Facebook rapist lived the high life, it seems,

both in and out of prison.

Following a series of exposes by GroundUp,

the Correctional Services Department

has now confirmed that the badly-burned body

found in Thabo Bester's Mangaung Prison cell is not his.

There were no signs of smoke inhalation,

but his internal organs, such as the pancreas and the spleen,

were in the early stages of decomposition.

Has the Department of Correctional Services

been engaged in a cover-up?

There is no cover-up.

Government is embarrassed.

It's an embarrassing situation that a convicted criminal,

who was sentenced to life and 75 years, escapes from prison.

Those with any information that can assist

are being asked to come forward.

"The couple look like any other."

They smile and exchange a knowing look.

But rather than thoughts of romance,

is the knowledge that police are hot on their tails.

Yes, that's right.

Today we're diving into a case that has captured South Africans.

The story of Dr Nandipha Magudumana

"and her lover, the rapist and murderer Thabo Bester."

"Dr Nandipha Magudumana, once revered as a celebrity doctor"

with accolades and fame, now stands as an enigma.

In March, 2023, a series of events began to unravel,

casting shadows over Magudumana's glittering facade.

A fall from grace that no one saw coming.

"The search for Bester and Nandipha becomes a national obsession."

Dr Nandipha, Thabo Bester.. It's a movie, guys.

Their body was found bound, gagged, and beaten.

They had 57 stab wounds in their abdomen, chest...

Her arms were cut off,

her legs were cut off, her ears were cut off.

Mm-hm. Now that's what I'm talking about.

I'm Nicole Engelbrecht

and you're listening to "True Crime South Africa".

WHAT WE'RE STARTING TO REALLY SEE IS A SHIFT, GLOBALLY,

TO A MORE ETHICAL TRUE CRIME. AND I THINK WHAT I'VE NOTICED

IS THAT IT'S BECOME ALMOST EMPOWERING FOR MY LISTENERS

BECAUSE I THINK AS SOUTH AFRICANS, WE CAN OFTEN FEEL VERY DISEMPOWERED,

FEEL VERY MUCH LIKE CRIMINAL ELEMENTS ARE TAKING OVER OUR COUNTRY

AND THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN REALLY DO TO PROTECT OURSELVES.

AND TRUE CRIME IS A SMALL WAY OF BEING ABLE TO TAKE BACK THESE STORIES

AND THEN ALSO UNDERSTAND HOW THESE PERPETRATORS DEVELOP.

I THINK THAT WHAT WE'VE COME TO UNDERSTAND

IS THAT THESE PERPETRATORS AREN'T NECESSARILY BORN, THEY ARE MADE.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE MORE WE KNOW ABOUT PEOPLE LIKE THIS,

PERHAPS THE BETTER EQUIPPED WE ARE TO "A", AVOID THEM,

AND MAYBE AVOID BECOMING THEM.

Dr Nandipha, let's get to your story.

I am Dr Nandipha Magudumana.

I was born in a small village called Bizana in the Eastern Cape.

WE WERE ALL BORN IN THE TRANSKEI.

I'M ONE OF FOUR, AND NANDIPHA IS MY YOUNGER SISTER.

AFTER APARTHEID, MY PARENTS FIGURED OUT

THAT LIFE WAS BETTER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER, BETTER SCHOOLS.

AND WE MOVED TO PORT EDWARD, KZN,

AND WE WERE THE FIRST BLACK PEOPLE TO BUY A HOUSE THERE.

SO I'D CONSIDER MY PARENTS AND OUR FAMILY THE SO-CALLED MIDDLE CLASS,

BECAUSE MY PARENTS WERE BOTH EDUCATORS,

AND THEN THEY ADVANCED THEIR PROFESSIONS

BY BECOMING CHIEF EDUCATION SPECIALISTS.

SINCE NANDIPHA WAS VERY, VERY YOUNG, SHE'S ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A DOCTOR.

I REMEMBER WE TOOK ONE OF HER DOLLS AND CUT IT IN HALF,

AND THERE SHE WAS, TRYING TO STITCH IT BACK TOGETHER,

AND GETTING MY MOM UPSET, OF COURSE.

I spent most of my school career

working towards getting into medical school.

In high school, I started working at a pharmacy,

and then there was also a hospital next to my school,

so I would take time and do community service there.

WERE YOU AND NANDIPHA CLOSE?

I WOULD SAY SO. WE WERE VERY CLOSE.

WE'RE THE ONLY SIBLINGS OUT OF THE FOUR

THAT ARE ROUND ABOUT THE SAME AGE,

WHICH MAKES US SORT OF PEERS IN THAT SENSE.

NANDIPHA WAS ALWAYS A GO-GETTER.

SHE ALWAYS LIKED NICE THINGS, EVEN IN VARSITY.

SHE'D MAKE HER SPARE MONEY THROUGH MODELLING.

So yeah, I finished, and then I worked as a junior doctor.

I did my internship community service.

And it was then when I realised

that actually, I want to do what I'm passionate about,

which is aesthetic medicine, which is something that's fairly new.

- It's a discipline... - What's that?

So we make people beautiful.

- That's what we do. - Okay.

- Damn, damn, damn, damn. - Yeah.

I STARTED INTRODUCING HER TO THE MEDIA SPACE.

JOURNALISTS WERE INTERESTED,

SO I WOULD HOOK HER UP WITH MEDIA EXPOSURE.

MY PARENTS ALWAYS EMPHASISED THAT, "WE LOVE ALL OF YOU EQUALLY",

BUT YOU WOULD SEE THAT THERE IS FAVOURITISM.

NANDIPHA WAS A MILLIONAIRE,

SO WHATEVER WE SAY.. COMES AFTER SHE SAYS.

IF SHE SAYS SOMETHING, SHE'S SPOKEN, AND THAT'S IT.

HER BUSINESS WAS BOOMING.

SHE HAD NOTIFIED US AS A FAMILY

THAT SHE'S GOT A MENTOR THAT LIVES IN NEW YORK CITY

BY THE NAME OF TK NKWANA,

WHICH WAS SUPPOSEDLY A PROPERTY AND MEDIA MOGUL.

And then I opened a property and investment company,

which is something that I'm very passionate about,

that I'm currently running.

So I'm concurrently running two companies at the same time.

THE SO-CALLED TK NKWANA THAT WE KNEW,

NANDIPHA WOULD EXPLAIN THAT HE GREW UP WITHOUT A FAMILY OR PARENTS.

AND HE WAS TRYING TO BE PART OF OUR FAMILY,

IN THE SENSE THAT HE WOULD EVEN CALL MY FATHER "DAD" AND MY MOM "MOM",

AND, LIKE, "I'VE NEVER HAD PARENTS, AND YOU GUYS HAVE BECOME MY PARENTS."

AND YOU COULD SPEAK NOTHING ILL OF THIS TK NKWANA

BECAUSE HE WAS "LITERALLY" FAMILY.

HER CHILDREN USED TO CALL HIM PINEAPPLE. THAT WAS HIS NICKNAME.

AND DURING VIDEO CALLS, NANDIPHA WOULD SAY,

"DON'T YOU WANNA SPEAK TO PINEAPPLE?"

ON NANDIPHA'S STREAMING ACCOUNT, THEY CHOSE TO BE THE GIRLS' ACCOUNT,

MUMMY'S ACCOUNT, WHICH IS NANDIPHA,

AND THEN THERE'S PINEAPPLE ON THE SIDE. THAT'S HIS NICKNAME.

AND WHEN YOU GO THROUGH PINEAPPLE'S ACCOUNT, IT'S ALL CRIME SERIES.

IT'S ALL CRIME SERIES.

SO I GUESS HE WAS GETTING TIPS.

DID YOU GUYS EVER ASK HER HOW SHE MET TK?

UM.. I.. I DID ASK. AND YOU NEVER GOT A CLEAR ANSWER.

I DON'T EVER REMEMBER GETTING A CLEAR ANSWER ON HOW SHE MET HIM.

AND IF YOU SORT OF SPEAK LIKE THAT,

IT'S LIKE, "OH DON'T ASK. YOU GUYS KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS."

"STOP ASKING QUESTIONS," SHE'D SAY.

MY THEORY IS THABO BESTER WAS SNOOPING AROUND ONLINE

WHILE HE WAS IN JAIL AND THOUGHT THAT HE COULD USE HER SOMEHOW,

AND DID EXACTLY THAT. THEY MET ONLINE. THAT'S WHAT I THINK.

WHAT WE DO KNOW FOR A FACT,

BECAUSE THE PRISON VISITATION RECORDS INDICATE IT,

IS THAT MAGUDUMANA STARTED VISITING BESTER IN PRISON IN 2017.

AND SHE VISITED HIM SEVERAL TIMES IN THE COMING YEARS.

THERE WAS EVEN ONE BOOKING THAT WAS ON VALENTINE'S DAY.

So what is the one habit nearly all successful people have in common?

IN 2017, THE FIRST OF THE COMPANIES THAT MAGUDUMANA AND BESTER

WOULD BOTH BE INVOLVED IN WERE REGISTERED BY MAGUDUMANA.

SO BEFORE MAGUDUMANA STARTED VISITING BESTER IN PRISON,

HE RECEIVED MANY OTHER VISITORS.

MANY OF THESE VISITORS WERE WOMEN EITHER INVOLVED IN MEDIA OR BUSINESS,

AND HE HAD REACHED OUT TO THEM WITH A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY.

BUT IN ALL OF THOSE CASES,

ONCE IT BECAME CLEAR WHO HE WAS, THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ENDED.

WHAT I HAVE SEEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN IN THIS CASE,

IS THAT PEOPLE KNEW THAT THABO BESTER WAS EITHER DOING THINGS IN PRISON

OR WAS COMMUNICATING TOO CLOSELY WITH PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF PRISON

WHERE THEY COULD'VE BEEN DOING THINGS.

AND NOT A SINGLE PERSON WENT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES

AND SAID, "I KNOW FOR A FACT

THAT THIS GUY IS HOSTING PARTIES FROM HIS JAIL CELL."

BESTER HAD APPARENTLY TOLD PEOPLE THAT THE REASON HE WAS IN JAIL

IS BECAUSE HE HAD TAKEN THE FALL FOR A POLITICIAN'S SON.

LOTS OF TEA.

HOW DID YOU FIND THAT OUT? WHO TOLD YOU THAT?

SO THAT INFORMATION CAME FROM SEVERAL SOURCES,

AND PEOPLE HAD ALSO EMAILED US USING PSEUDONYMS,

TELLING US THAT BESTER WAS CONNECTED TO SEVERAL POLITICIANS.

I THINK NANDIPHA BELIEVED THAT.

SHE ACTUALLY REALLY BELIEVED THAT THIS GUY,

AFTER SHE HAD FOUND OUT, OBVIOUSLY, THAT HE'S IN JAIL,

THAT THIS GUY HAD BEEN WRONGFULLY ACCUSED AND SENTENCED.

AND I BELIEVE THAT MADE IT A SORT OF EXCITING FACTOR,

YOU KNOW, SORT OF THABO BESTER GLORIFYING HIMSELF,

AS IF HE'S THE VICTIM HERE.

I THINK HE REACHED OUT TO NANDIPHA AS THE BUSINESSMAN.

I THINK NANDIPHA WAS JUST AN INSTRUMENT

TO DO WHATEVER HE NEEDED TO DO

TO MAKE MONEY AND GET OUT OF JAIL.

THE ROMANCE SCAMS

HAVE CONNED PEOPLE OUT OF TENS OF MILLIONS OF RANDS,

NOT JUST IN SOUTH AFRICA, BUT WORLDWIDE.

AND IT'S BEEN HAPPENING FOR DECADES.

AND WHAT THEY DO IS THEY START LOOKING FOR A SPECIFIC VICTIMOLOGY,

AND THEY GROOM HER. THEY LOOK AT WHAT HER INTERESTS ARE.

THEY LOOK FOR SOMETHING THAT THE PERSON WOULD FIND IN COMMON.

CHANCES ARE HE REALLY STUDIED NANDIPHA

AND DISCOVERED HER WEAKEST POINT OR HER WEAKEST NEED AT THAT TIME.

AND THEY SET THEM UP OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.

IT COULD BE THREE MONTHS, IT COULD BE SIX MONTHS.

AND THAT'S WHEN THE FRAUD COMES IN.

AND WE SEE THESE ROMANCE SCAMS UNDER DIFFERENT GUISES ALL THE TIME.

Guys, you have to be so discerning

when you are choosing to follow somebody online

and to believe the things that they are saying.

Guys, listen, one thing about Instagram influencers,

those people can lie.

Stop idolising these social media influencers

and people that are famous,

because you do not know what they do behind closed doors.

You've gotta ask yourselves

the lifestyle that they live on these social media apps.

You do not know what they do to fund those lifestyles.

Everybody was so shocked about the whole Dr Nandipha thing

because they were like, "How can somebody so beautiful," right?

Because apparently being shady and living a double lifestyle

is only for, like, bad-looking people.

I MEAN, FOR A WOMAN TO GO THROUGH

WHATEVER EXTENT SHE WENT THROUGH FOR A MAN,

I GUESS SHE IS IN LOVE WITH HIM,

OR IN LOVE WITH THE WHOLE SCENARIO, MAYBE.

IF I TELL YOU I'M AN EX-CONVICT OR I HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD,

YOU WILL THINK TWICE, RIGHT?

SO I MUST GIVE YOU THE IMAGINATION AND THE FAIRY TALE

THAT'S GOING TO SELL FOR ME TO GET YOU,

AND FOR YOU TO BE FULLY IMMERSED IN WHAT I AM OFFERING.

AND THIS OPPORTUNITY, THROUGH THABO'S INVOLVEMENT,

EXPANDED THE IDEA OF WHAT WEALTH COULD LOOK LIKE.

THE IDEA OF BEING THE NEXT BIG DOCTOR, THE IDEA OF MATERIAL GAIN.

WITH HER BANKING PROFILE,

WITH HER ACCESS TO HIGH-PROFILE INDIVIDUALS,

THE BANKS WOULDN'T QUESTION THE FACT THAT, HER BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR,

WOULD SUDDENLY HAVE LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONIES COMING INTO HER ACCOUNTS,

OR THE FACT THAT SHE WAS OPENING NEW COMPANIES

THAT SUDDENLY HAD LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY COMING IN.

THAT WOULD BE EXPECTED OF AN ENTREPRENEUR,

IT WOULD BE EXPECTED OF SOMEBODY WHO'S AN INFLUENCER.

AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT FRAUDSTERS, THEY FIND SOMEBODY WHO HAVE A NETWORK

OR A GROUP AROUND THEM THAT THEY CAN NOW MANIPULATE,

THAT THEY CAN HAVE ACCESS TO, SO THAT THEY CAN MONETISE IT.

AND SHE HAD ALL OF THAT. SO IT WAS THE PERFECT MATCH.

SO I THINK THEN THE DOWNFALL BECAME NANDIPHA FALLING FOR THIS IMAGINATION

OF WHATEVER THAT WAS THEN PRESENTED TO HER.

AS MUCH AS ONE CAN BELIEVE SHE WAS GROOMED IN THE INITIAL STAGES,

SHE BECAME FULLY AWARE OF WHO HE WAS,

AND THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO ASK THEMSELVES,

"WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU FOUND OUT

THE PERSON THAT YOU'VE NOW HAD AN ONLINE RELATIONSHIP WITH

TURNED OUT TO BE SOMEBODY THAT THE STATE

AND THE PEOPLE AT LARGE REGARDED AS A MONSTER?

I THINK MOST PEOPLE WOULD TRY DISTANCE THEMSELVES

AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

SO THERE IS A KNOWN PHENOMENON IN THE WORLD

WHERE WOMEN BECOME INTERESTED IN MALE OFFENDERS,

AND IT'S OFTEN VERY MUCH

THE OFFENDERS THAT HAVE COMMITTED PARTICULARLY VIOLENT CRIMES,

USUALLY WHERE THEIR VICTIMS WERE FEMALE AS WELL.

I realised why women love serial killers so much,

and it's because it's the first man we've ever seen who can plan.

EVEN IN SOUTH AFRICA, WE'VE SEEN WITH THE OSCAR PISTORIUS CASE,

THERE WAS A HUGE FEMALE FOLLOWING

WHERE THEY JUST ARE ADAMANTLY SUPPORTIVE OF HIM,

DESPITE WHAT HE HAS DONE.

ARE THESE WOMEN GENUINELY JUST SEEING THE MAN BEHIND THE CRIME,

OR ARE THEY DRAWN TO THAT PERSON BECAUSE THEY ARE THE PERPETRATOR?

I put the rope over the seat,

and then I put it around his neck and I pulled tight.

HARDLY EVER DO WE SEE THESE WOMEN

GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE THEY ACTUALLY WANT TO BREAK THEM OUT...

OR THEY'LL PLAY A ROLE IN THAT.

Don't judge people!

You are a person! They are a person!

I'm a person! We're all persons!

So I found this website called write a prisoner.com,

and you can literally just, like, browse through a load of inmates

in prison all over the USA.

What's up? My name's Ryan. I'm 26.

I'm looking forward to meeting some of you all.

SO HOW MANY PRISON PEN PALS DO YOU HAVE?

THREE OR FOUR.

I ALREADY HAD AT MOST, LIKE, ABOUT NINE OR TEN AT ONCE. YEAH.

WELL ACTUALLY, MY SISTER WAS WRITING PEOPLE IN PRISON,

AND SO SHE JUST TALKED VERY OPENLY ABOUT IT,

AND SHE TALKED ABOUT THE US CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

AND THAT'S HOW I KINDA GOT, YOU KNOW, MYSELF INTO IT, INTERESTED IN IT,

AND I GOT A PASSION FOR IT.

I WAS AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY, SO I WROTE TO SOMEONE WHO WAS ON DEATH ROW

BECAUSE THAT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT I COULD DO TO "HELP".

I THOUGHT I MIGHT BECOME FRIENDS WITH SOMEONE,

I MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP SOMEONE.

AND AT THE TIME, I MEAN, I WAS LIVING IN FRANCE,

AND I THOUGHT, "AND IT'S A GOOD WAY TO IMPROVE MY ENGLISH,

SO LET'S GO FOR IT!"

SO MY VERY FIRST PEN PAL, WHEN I WROTE TO HIM,

I ACTUALLY DID NOT KNOW HIS CRIME.

I JUST KNEW BECAUSE YOU'RE ON DEATH ROW, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S A MURDER

AND SOMETHING ELSE ADDED TO IT. BUT I REALLY HAD NO CLUE.

AND I FOUND OUT SEVEN YEARS LATER WHEN I DECIDED TO GOOGLE HIM.

IN THIS CASE, IT WAS RAPES AND MURDERS, PLURAL.

SO THAT WAS...

IT WAS HARD TO RECONNECT THE PERSON THAT I KNEW WITH THE CRIMES.

IT WAS SCARY, BUT MY INTENT IS TO SUPPORT SOMEONE WHO IS ON DEATH ROW,

WHETHER THEY ARE INNOCENT OR GUILTY.

SO IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO GO ON.

I SPECIFICALLY LOOKED FOR SOMEONE

WHO HAD A LIFE-WITHOUT-PAROLE SENTENCE,

AND WHO HAD BEEN INCARCERATED SINCE THE AGE OF 18.

THAT MUST BE SO AWFUL, THAT YOU ARE 18 YEARS OLD,

AND WE'RE TELLING YOU THAT YOU'RE GONNA DIE IN PRISON.

I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO WRITE SOMEONE IN PRISON

TO BRING THEM SOMETHING,

AND I REALISED THAT IT'S A WIN-WIN SITUATION.

LIKE, THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO BENEFIT FROM IT, BUT I DID TOO.

AND I LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM,

AND ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR PRISON.

AND WHEN DID YOU START TO REALISE

THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY AN ACTIVISM INVOLVED?

BY WRITING SOMEONE IN PRISON...

BY WRITING SOMEONE IN PRISON, I FEEL LIKE YOU LEARN A LOT.

I'VE LEARNT SO MUCH.

AND I MET SIGRID ALONG THE WAY WHO WAS ALSO WRITING PEOPLE IN PRISON.

IT WAS IN 2014, AND WE BECAME FRIENDS.

AND IN 2019, I FEEL LIKE WE WERE BOTH READY TO

YOU KNOW, TO PLAY A BIGGER ROLE.

AND THAT'S WHEN WE DECIDED TO CREATE WIRE OF HOPE.

So you can scroll and browse the profiles on our site...

Click their picture to open their profile...

and find someone that you would like to write to

that you think you could connect with.

We believe people are more than the worst action of their life.

COMMUNITY GIVES US A SENSE OF BELONGING AND A SENSE OF BEHAVIOUR.

A COMMUNITY BECOMES A PLACE OF BELONGING AND IS A PLACE OF FIXING.

THERE'S A SAYING IN ISIXHOSA, "UMUNTU ULUNGISWA NGABANTU."

THAT IS, WHEN SOMEONE DOES WRONG, PARTICULARLY A CHILD,

I CAN DISCIPLINE THAT CHILD.

I DON'T NEED, NECESSARILY, TO BE A BIOLOGICAL PARENT

OR A BIOLOGICAL AUNT OR A RELATIVE.

I CAN TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CORRECTING THAT BEHAVIOUR

AND HELPING THIS CHILD TO BECOME BETTER.

WHEREAS ON THE OTHER SPECTRUM IS,

"I'll OPERATE IN MY WORLD AND DO AS I PLEASE."

'Cause 95 percent of the people currently incarcerated

are going to be released eventually.

That means that whether we like it or not, those men and those women

are going to be living in our communities at some point.

FOR SOME PEOPLE, IT'S REALLY HARD TO WRAP THEIR MIND AROUND,

"HOW CAN YOU REACH OUT TO SOMEONE WHO COMMITTED A CRIME?

WHAT ABOUT THE VICTIMS? WE NEED TO HELP THE VICTIMS."

YES, WE DO, OF COURSE. BUT WE CAN DO BOTH.

A letter is a lifeline,

and it can mean the world for someone incarcerated.

We are here to give you the keys

to the best and safest experience possible.

IT HAPPENS THAT PEOPLE DO FALL IN LOVE

AFTER BEING SIMPLE PEN PALS TO BEGIN WITH.

WE THEN SEE THE TRUE DESCRIPTION

OF UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD AND UNCONDITIONAL LOVE,

THAT WHEN THIS PERSON COMES OUT, THIS PERSON WILL COME OUT AS A BETTER MAN.

YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M GONNA BE TELLING YOU,

"DO YOU!" LIKE, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANNA DO, GO FOR IT.

JUST BE CAREFUL."

- This is your man? - Yes.

Look at the screen.

Mm.. That's mine.

And I'm gonna stick beside him.

And that's what you're gonna settle for?

I'm gonna stick beside him.

THABO BESTER'S STORY

IS DEFINITELY GIVING A BAD NAME TO PROGRAMMES LIKE US,

BECAUSE THEN PEOPLE ASSOCIATE IT.

THEY'RE LIKE, "OH PEOPLE IN PRISON ARE BAD,"

AND THEY MANIPULATE PEOPLE ON THE OUTSIDE,

AND THOSE WEBSITES ARE JUST HELPING THAT HAPPEN,

WHEN THIS IS NOT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.

IT CAN BE AN EXPLOSIVE SITUATION

WHEN YOU HAVE A PERSON WHO IS ONLY LOOKING AT USING AND ABUSING,

AND A PERSON WHO IS ONLY LOOKING AT GIVING, YOU KNOW, AND BEING LOVING.

SO WHEN DID THINGS START TO FALL APART

- BETWEEN HER AND HER HUSBAND? - UM.. I WOULDN'T HAVE A TIMELINE

BECAUSE I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THINGS WERE FALLING APART,

IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

EVEN THOUGH SHE IS A LOVING PERSON, DON'T GET ME WRONG,

BUT TO GET HER TO TALK ABOUT HER FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS,

THAT'S NOT NANDIPHA. YEAH.

Happy new month to you all.

I think we all go through challenges,

and some of us have had incredible challenges to overcome,

especially during the pandemic.

COVID HIT ME.

AS FREELANCERS, "NO WORK, NO PAY",

AND MY WIFE WAS UNEMPLOYED AT THAT TIME.

SO WE MOVED INTO THE COTTAGE AT THE HYDE PARK MANSION

WHILE THE RENOVATIONS ARE TAKING PLACE.

It's separate from the main house.

AND WE SORT OF BECAME AN EXTRA EYE ON THE CONSTRUCTION.

EVERYTHING WAS BRAND NEW IN THAT MANSION. EVERYTHING.

THEY TOOK DOWN THE CHANDELIERS, PUT NEW ONES, REDID THE KITCHEN,

REDID THE FLOOR, REDID THE STAIRS, REDID THE CEILING.

LIKE, IT WAS MADE TOTALLY BRAND NEW.

Tennis court...

NANDIPHA HAD EXPLAINED THAT SHE HAD BOUGHT THE MANSION

AS PART OF THE ARUM PROPERTY BUSINESS WITH TK NKWANA.

AND TK NKWANA WASN'T REALLY AWARE THAT WE ARE LIVING THERE.

AT THIS STAGE, I'D JUST FOUND OUT THAT HE WAS THABO BESTER...

AND HE DIDN'T DENY THAT HE WAS THABO BESTER AFTER I'VE CAUGHT HIM.

HE DIDN'T DENY IT. HE SAID, "JA, SO? WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT?"

TYPE OF MENTALITY.

AND THEN THAT'S WHEN I GOT, LIKE, A REAL SENSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING.

AND NANDIPHA CALLS MY WIFE AND SAYS, ", TAKE THE KIDS AND LEAVE."

AND THIS IS LIKE IN MAY.

IT'S WINTER IN JOBURG IN MAY, AND WE'VE GOT NOWHERE TO GO.

AND I ASKED NANDIPHA,

"CAN'T YOU GIVE US AT LEAST UNTIL END OF THE MONTH SO WE FIND A PLACE?"

AND NANDIPHA WAS LIKE, "NO, TK HAS SPOKEN.

AND HE DOESN'T WANT YOU HERE. HE WANTS YOU TO MAKE ROOM FOR ZANDA.

ZANDA MOYO, THE GARDEN WORKER, CARETAKER GUY.

YOU NEED TO MAKE SPACE FOR HIM."

NANDIPHA WAS LIKE, "YOU HAVE TO LEAVE."

THE FOLLOWING MORNING, AFTER WE GOT KICKED OUT,

THAT'S WHEN I WROTE THE FACEBOOK POST.

MY LAWYER SAW IT

AND HE WAS VERY ANGRY, TOLD ME TO GET IT DOWN,

SO I TOOK IT DOWN, BUT SOMEONE HAD ALREADY SCREEN-GRABBED IT,

AND NANDIPHA WAS VERY UPSET ABOUT IT.

AND SHE SUED ME.

HENCE I WENT THROUGH COURT FOR A WHOLE YEAR FOR DEFAMATION.

IT IS AMAZING THAT THABO BESTER

WAS EVEN ABLE TO USE THE SOUTH AFRICAN COURT OF LAW FOR HIS LIES,

YOU KNOW, TO DEFEND HIS LIES.

IT SHOWS HOW MUCH...

HOW MUCH HE THOUGHT HE HAD INFLUENCE ON AUTHORITY.

THE FAMILY FELT FOR ME AND THEY SPOKE TO NANDIPHA TO WITHDRAW THE CASE.

MY MOTHER HAD TO BEG HER, AND NANDIPHA WITHDREW THE CASE.

BUT THEN THE NPA DIDN'T WANNA DROP THE CASE.

EVENTUALLY, BECAUSE NANDIPHA WOULDN'T COME TO COURT TO BE A WITNESS,

THE MAGISTRATE FELT LIKE THEY'RE WASTING HIS TIME AND MY TIME,

AND HE WITHDREW THE CASE.

I THINK I TOLD EVERYONE IN THE FAMILY IT'S THABO BESTER.

BUT NO ONE LISTENED TO ME, AND...

DEFINITELY THE STORY IN EVERYONE'S HEAD IN THE FAMILY WAS,

"NATHI'S JEALOUS THAT HE HAS NEVER REACHED THIS TYPE OF SUCCESS

AND PROBABLY WILL NEVER."

SO IT WAS JUST A "ME" THING,

AND A BITTER PERSON TRYING TO DENT NANDIPHA'S IMAGE.

WAS HE REALLY JUST WANTING TO MAKE SURE HIS SISTER WAS SAFE?

OR WAS HE THINKING,

"MAYBE IF I PUBLICLY VOICE MY KNOWLEDGE OF THIS SITUATION,

I'll BE OFFERED SOME MONEY NOT TO TALK"?

Nandipha Magudumana's brother says

he can't remember exactly how he asked his sister for money.

Nathi, I just want to clarify,

do you dispute that you were extorting your sister for money

to keep this a secret?

Like I said, I was intoxicated

and I don't even remember what I was doing

'cause of the emotions I was going through.

TO ME, IT WAS ABOUT JUSTICE, FAIRNESS...

ABOUT SAVING MY SISTER, AND ESPECIALLY ABOUT SAVING HER KIDS,

HER TWO LITTLE DAUGHTERS.

Brace yourself.

Today, the Health Professions Council of South Africa

stated that Dr Nandipha Magudumana

is actually not a registered doctor currently.

...because she failed to pay annual fees.

Now, the medical watchdog says those fees were due in April 2021.

WE KNOW, AT THIS POINT, THEY WERE RUNNING OTHER BUSINESSES.

ARUM PROPERTIES, WHAT WE NOW KNOW IS A FRAUDULENT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY.

THERE WERE MEDIA COMPANIES THAT WERE BEING RUN AS WELL.

SO IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT HER ATTENTION WAS DRAWN

COMPLETELY AWAY FROM HER CAREER AS A MEDICAL DOCTOR.

IT COULD ALSO BE PURE ARROGANCE.

WE'VE SEEN QUITE A LOT OF THE-RULES-DON'T-APPLY-TO-ME BEHAVIOUR

FROM DR MAGUDUMANA.

SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO REMEMBER ABOUT THIS WHOLE PERIOD

WHERE DR MAGUDUMANA WAS ENGAGING WITH THABO BESTER,

SHE WAS ESSENTIALLY SOCCER-MOMMING AND DOCTORING DURING THE WEEK,

AND PERHAPS ON WEEKENDS

VISITING A CONVICTED SERIAL RAPIST AND MURDERER IN PRISON.

I DID KNOW THAT NANDIPHA WOULD GO ON HOLIDAYS IN BLOEMFONTEIN,

BUT TO ME IT WAS MIND-BOGGLING, BECAUSE WHAT'S IN BLOEMFONTEIN?

SHE'S THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO WOULD GO TO BALI,

OR IF IT'S IN SOUTH AFRICA, SHE'D BE IN ZIMBALI OR IN CAMPS BAY.

WHEN I PUT THE DOTS TOGETHER, BESTER WAS INCARCERATED IN BLOEMFONTEIN.

IT NOW MAKES SENSE WHY SHE WOULD GO TO BLOEMFONTEIN,

EVEN BOOK A HOTEL FOR THE KIDS IN BLOEMFONTEIN.

THERE'S REPORTS OF AN INVOICE

FROM TREDENHAM BOUTIQUE HOTEL IN BLOEMFONTEIN,

NOT TOO FAR FROM THE PRISON.

THE BOOKING WAS IN THE NAME OF TK NKWANA,

AND THE DATE OF THE BOOKING WAS TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE ESCAPE.

SO IT APPEARS, JUST BY LOOKING AT THAT,

THAT THABO BESTER POSING AS TK NKWANA, STAYED AT THAT HOTEL.

WE STARTED INVESTIGATING IT AND WE TRIED OUR BEST TO VERIFY THAT THEORY.

I THINK IT WOULD BE PREMATURE TO SAY WITH CERTAINTY,

THAT BESTER HAD WEEKENDS AWAY WITH MAGUDUMANA.

THE PERSONA OF THABO BESTER

HAS BEEN BUILT UP AND PADDED WITH A LOT OF MYTH-MAKING,

WHEREAS A LOT OF THOSE MYTHS ARE NOT TRUE.

WE SPOKE TO PRISON WARDENS AT THE PRISON

WHO SAID IT'S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE.

SO THERE'S VERY LITTLE EVIDENCE

THAT BESTER WAS ACTUALLY ALLOWED OUT OF THE PRISON.

"In the days leading up to the Easter weekend, 2022",

celebrity doctor, Nandipha Magudumana,

arrived in Bloemfontein.

On Wednesday, the 13th of April,

Nandipha checks in at The Tredenham Boutique Hotel.

"She'd booked online using the name TK Nkwana."

WE KNOW THAT SHE CHECKED IN

BECAUSE SHE USED HER ID DOCUMENT AT THE CHECK-IN COUNTER

AND THEY TOOK A COPY OF IT.

"She claims the body of an unidentified man"

at the government mortuary in Bloemfontein.

A burial was held at a cemetery in Bloemfontein,

but the coffin with the body

"was swapped for one filled with boerewors."

POLICE SAY THAT MAGUDUMANA'S CAR WAS SPOTTED AT THE CEMETERY

WHEN THIS BURIAL TOOK PLACE.

HOW MUCH BOEREWORS WOULD YOU HAVE TO BUY

FOR IT TO BE THE AMOUNT FOR A BODY, AND HOW MUCH WOULD THAT COST?

YES. ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT MEAT IS SO EXPENSIVE IN SOUTH AFRICA.

IT RAISES QUESTIONS AS TO HOW MUCH MONEY THEY SPENT BUYING BOEREWORS,

AND HOW MUCH BOEREWORS WAS USED,

SO THAT IT COULD ACTUALLY SEEM AS IF IT WAS AN ACTUAL BODY IN THAT COFFIN.

EVERYTHING THAT THEY'VE DONE IS THIS FLASHY DISPLAY OF THEIR WEALTH.

"On several occasions over the next few days,

the CCTV cameras in the prison's Broadway section

stop recording periodically.

Was this a failed attempt?"

WE HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THAT BODY

WOULD'VE BEEN USED IN PLANS FOR BESTER TO ESCAPE.

BUT SOMETHING WENT WRONG AND THAT'S HOW THE BODY ENDED UP BEING DUMPED

IN A RIVER NEAR BLOEMFONTEIN.

"The body was discovered by police,

still with its morgue identification tag attached."

THEN, ABOUT 20 DAYS AFTER CLAIMING THE FIRST BODY,

SHE CLAIMED A SECOND BODY,

THIS TIME FROM THE NATIONAL HOSPITAL IN BLOEMFONTEIN.

"She told officials

that the body belongs to the brother of her friend, Zanda Moyo.

This friend is also her gardener.

"Again, she conducts a funeral, swapping the body..."

WITH THREE 10KG BAGS OF MAIZE MEAL.

IT SEEMS THAT THIS BODY WAS DESTINED FOR MANGAUNG PRISON.

IT SEEMED AS IF NOBODY HAD CLAIMED THESE BODIES FOR A WHILE.

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SHE HAD INSIDE INFORMATION

AND KNEW EXACTLY WHICH BODIES SHE HAD TO CLAIM.

There's no explanation as to how this woman is claiming bodies

that have no relation to her, from hospitals and morgues,

unless she's already dealing in human parts.

ARE THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED HERE,

THE CLAIMING OF BODIES IN THE DOCTOR'S NAME

FOR THE DUMPING IN THE RIVER,

IS THAT BREAKING THE DOCTOR'S MORAL CODE?

IT IS A NOBLE PROFESSION...

AND THAT'S WHAT WE TEACH THE JUNIOR DOCTORS EVERY DAY.. EVERY DAY,

BECAUSE THE MINUTE THAT SOMEBODY COMES TO YOU FOR HELP,

ALREADY THEY HAVE SUBJECTED THEMSELVES TO YOU

TO MAKE DECISIONS ON THEIR BEHALF, OR WITH THEM.

SO IF YOU ARE TO HOLD THAT MUCH POWER OR AUTHORITY

OVER ANOTHER HUMAN BEING, IT REQUIRES A CERTAIN LEVEL OF INTEGRITY.

JUST UBUNTU. YOU MUST BE ABLE TO SEE THE OTHER IN THE LIGHT

THAT YOU WANT TO BE SEEN IN.

TO CLAIM A BODY THAT IS NOT YOUR NEXT-OF-KIN AND DUMP IT,

IS BREAKING ALL OF THOSE CODES?

A MORE SERIOUS ONE IS, THE HUMAN REMAINS

ARE GOVERNED IN A VERY SPECIFIC WAY THAT IS DETAILED BY LAW

IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE RIGHT OF THE DECEASED AND THE FAMILY.

BE IT BLOOD THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN FOR LABORATORY TESTING,

BE IT A LIMB THAT HAS BEEN AMPUTATED, BE IT A STILLBORN...

SO IN IT,

I DON'T THINK DISPOSING OF A BODY IN AN UNCONVENTIONAL WAY

WILL BE LOOKED AT IN A GOOD LIGHT.

A PERSON IS STILL A HUMAN BEING,

WHETHER THEY HAVE GOT A HEARTBEAT OR NOT.

WITH HOW THINGS HAVE UNFOLDED,

I THINK SHE DOES PRESENT WITH TRAITS OF ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER,

AND I THINK IN THIS CASE,

THERE'S BEEN A DISREGARD OF NORMS, THERE'S BEEN IMPULSIVITY.

IT CALLS FOR A DEEPER ANALYSIS AND EXAMINATION OF,

"WHAT WAS HER MENTAL STATE AT THE TIME?"

AND IF SHE WAS WELL IN TERMS OF HOW SHE CAN THINK AND PROCESS THINGS,

THEN WE ARE PRIVY TO NANDIPHA'S DARK SIDE

OF KNOWING THAT SHE CAN BE THAT COLD.

YOU CANNOT FORGET THAT THIS WAS AN ORGANISED CRIME.

THEY NEEDED A LOT OF MONEY TO PAY A LOT OF PEOPLE

IN THE ECOSYSTEM THAT WAS INVOLVED.

IT WAS A WHOLE CHAIN,

AND THE EVENTS HAD TO TAKE PLACE IN A SPECIFIC MANNER.

THEY HAD TO HAVE BODIES.

THEY HAD TO HAVE SAFE HOUSES,

THEY HAD TO HAVE VEHICLES.

THEY HAD TO HAVE IDENTITY DOCUMENTS AND PASSPORTS.

AND WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON,

THE PRICE JUST GETS EXPONENTIALLY HIGHER.

FOR THEM TO HAVE RAISED TENS OF MILLIONS,

MAYBE EVEN HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF RANDS IS NOT THAT UNLIKELY.

THEY WOULD'VE NEEDED TO FEEL COMFORTABLE

THAT THEY HAD A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY IN RESERVE.

YOU ALSO NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH CRIMINALS,

YOU KNOW THEY COULD TURN ON YOU AT ANY MOMENT,

AND CHANCES ARE PEOPLE WOULD BLACKMAIL THEM OR EXTORT THEM

BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT HE HAD ESCAPED.

SO GETTING INVOLVED IN THE UNDERWORLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF NANDIPHA

MUST'VE BEEN EXCITING FOR HER.

THE WAY IN WHICH THE UNDERWORLD CONDUCTS THEMSELVES,

THEY'RE EXCEPTIONALLY CHARMING.

THEY TEND TO LIFT YOU UP IN TERMS OF WHO YOU ARE,

BECAUSE THEY'RE PLAYING TO YOU. THEY'RE UNDERSTANDING YOUR DESIRES,

THEY'RE UNDERSTANDING YOUR NEEDS, AND THEY PLAYING TO THAT.

THEIR VICTIMS DON'T REALISE THAT THEY'VE LET THE CON ARTISTS KNOW

EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.

More shocking evidence has come to light

regarding Nandipha's involvement in the whole affair.

THE BODY WAS ALLEGEDLY PUT INTO BESTER'S CELL

AND BURNED BEYOND RECOGNITION,

MAKING IT SEEM THAT BESTER HAD COMMITTED SUICIDE.

BUT MEANWHILE, BESTER HAD ESCAPED.

AROUND THE 5TH OF MAY, MAGUDUMANA AND HER FATHER, ZOLILE SEKELENI,

WENT TO THE FREE STATE MORGUE.

THEY TOLD THE OFFICIALS AT THE MORGUE

THEY WERE THERE TO COLLECT BESTER'S BODY.

MAGUDUMANA SAID THAT SHE WAS ON HIS CONTACT LIST.

SO MAGUDUMANA TOOK THE BODY FROM BLOEMFONTEIN TO A MORGUE IN SOWETO.

POLICE REALISED TWO THINGS.

ONE, THEY HAD THE AUTOPSY RESULTS

WHICH SHOWED THAT THE BODY WAS DEAD BEFORE THE FIRE BROKE OUT.

AND, TWO, THEY SAW THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST BODY

THAT MAGUDUMANA HAD CLAIMED IN RECENT WEEKS.

THERE WERE PLANS MADE TO SEND THAT BODY TO A CREMATORIUM,

WHICH WOULD MAKE SENSE

BECAUSE NOTHING WOULD TRACE THAT BODY BACK TO HER IN ANY POSSIBLE WAY.

SO I THINK THAT THAT'S WHY

SHE WANTED TO GET THAT BODY BACK WITH SO MUCH URGENCY.

WHEN MAGUDUMANA'S FATHER, ZOLILE SEKELENI,

AND AN ASSISTANT WENT TO COLLECT THE BODY FROM THE MORGUE IN SOWETO,

THEY WERE STOPPED BY POLICE.

MAGUDUMANA THEN CALLED HER LAWYER,

AND THE TWO DECIDED TO LAUNCH A HIGH COURT APPLICATION.

AND WE SENT ONE OF OUR REPORTERS TO VISIT THE HIGH COURT

TO TRY AND ACCESS THOSE PAPERS.

AND HE SPENT NEARLY THE ENTIRE DAY

TRYING TO GET HOLD OF THESE DOCUMENTS.

I JUST STARTED READING THROUGH WHAT NANDIPHA SAID.

"INDEED, ON THE 6TH OF MAY, 2022, I BOOKED A FLIGHT TO BLOEMFONTEIN

TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DECEASED

AND ALSO TO COLLECT HIS MORTAL REMAINS.

ON ARRIVAL IN BLOEMFONTEIN,

"I HAD TO FILL IN A NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS AS MARKED 'ANNEXURE VM4'."

IT WAS SO STRANGE TO EVEN THINK THAT

SHE COULD POSSIBLY BE INVOLVED WITH THABO BESTER.

IT WAS NOT ADDING UP WHATSOEVER.

I STILL FIND IT DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THIS WHOLE THING.

IN HER AFFIDAVIT, SHE SAID THAT THEY MET IN 2006

WHILE SHE WAS STUDYING AT WITS UNIVERSITY,

AND THAT THE FOLLOWING YEAR HE WENT TO CAPE TOWN TO STUDY AT UCT.

THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT TRUE, BECAUSE THABO BESTER NEVER WENT TO UNIVERSITY

AND IN FACT, HE DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL.

IT WAS PUBLISHED IN SEVERAL MEDIA OUTLETS.

How Dr Nandipha Magudumana met Thabo Bester...

Who is Dr Nandipha,

and how did she end up being the Bonnie to Thabo Bester's Clyde?

She met Thabo Bester while she was studying at WITS University.

PEOPLE EVENTUALLY STARTED THINKING THAT THIS MUST BE THE TRUTH,

BECAUSE IT DIDN'T SOURCE NANDIPHA'S AFFIDAVIT

AS WHERE THE INFORMATION WAS SOURCED FROM.

AS THE DETAILS CAME OUT,

WE REALISED HOW RECKLESS THE WHOLE ESCAPE PLOT WAS,

AND DEFINITELY HOLLYWOODESQUE. I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT PYROTECHNICS,

YOU'VE GOT COSTUMES, YOU'VE GOT FAKE BODIES.

IT'S LIKE A MOVIE UNTIL IT'S A MOVIE,

AND THEN IT'S NOT LIKE A MOVIE ANYMORE.

THIS ENTIRE SAGA STARTED FEELING LIKE A TRUE CRIME PODCAST

THAT WE WERE LIVING IN.

GIVEN THE GRAVITY OF THE STORY AND THE NATURE OF IT,

I COULD TELL FROM THE BEGINNING

THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO ONLY PUT ON MY INVESTIGATIVE HAT

ONCE I ENTERED THE OFFICE, JUST TO STRIKE SOME SORT OF A BALANCE,

BECAUSE I COULD TELL THAT IT WAS GOING TO AFFECT THINGS

LIKE MY SLEEPING PATTERNS AND JUST MY DAILY OPERATIONS.

I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE STORY FROM CONSUMING ME

JUST BY DECIDING FROM THE BEGINNING

THAT I'M ONLY GOING TO DEAL WITH ANYTHING BESTER-RELATED

WHEN I'M IN THE OFFICE.

AND DID DANIEL HAVE THE SAME KIND OF BOUNDARIES?

DID HE MANAGE TO DO THE SAME THING?

YOU MUST SPEAK TO HIM BECAUSE I THINK HE'LL GIVE YOU A WHOLE PIECE.

'CAUSE HE.. YEAH, NO.

FOR HIM, IT WAS BESTER IN THE MORNING, IN THE EVENING.

AND I DO REMEMBER THAT HE WAS GETTING VERY LITTLE SLEEP.

THE STORY CONSUMED MY ENTIRE LIFE, EVEN MY PERSONAL LIFE,

AND I WAS PERFECTLY HAPPY FOR THAT BECAUSE IT WAS FUN AND EXCITING.

BUT IT ALL FELT A BIT OVERWHELMING, ACTUALLY.

DID YOU EVER, AND DO YOU EVER, GET BESTER FATIGUE?

MM. I'VE GOT BESTER-FATIGUE RIGHT NOW.

I DO KNOW THAT TOWARDS THE END,

HE DID START SETTING SOME BOUNDARIES FOR HIMSELF.

SO I BELONG TO A GROUP OF MUSICIANS WHO PLAY IRISH MUSIC.

AND THAT ROUTINE OF PLAYING EVERY WEEK

HELPED ME TO JUST LET THOUGHTS COME AND GO AND TO PROCESS...

AND IT'S VERY RELAXING.

FROM QUITE EARLY AFTER THE ESCAPE,

THEY SEEMED TO BE LIVING QUITE A LUXURIOUS, RELATIVELY PUBLIC LIFE.

THERE ARE REPORTS THAT THEY DROVE AROUND IN PORSCHES AND ROLLS ROYCES,

THAT BESTER TREATED HIMSELF TO DESIGNER CLOTHES AND WATCHES.

MAGUDUMANA STARTED INTRODUCING BESTER TO HER FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES

AS TK OR TOM.

TOGETHER THEY RAN THEIR COMPANY, ARUM PROPERTIES.

AT ONE STAGE ON HER INSTAGRAM,

SHE POSTED A STORY OF BALLOONS ON HIS BIRTHDAY,

NOT ALLUDING TO WHO IT WAS FOR.

SO EVERYONE IN HER CIRCLE KNEW ABOUT THIS NEW CHARACTER,

BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHO HE REALLY WAS.

IT'S ALMOST AS THOUGH SHE ENJOYS THE TEASE

OF THE TWO OF THEM SITTING THERE, POINTING THEIR FINGER AT THE WORLD,

AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING GOT AWAY WITH IT.

Videos of Thabo in the months after his escape

are slowly but surely popping up all over social media.

"I was almost human trafficked by them!"

I even said, "I have voice notes and videos of him."

I met him,

and Nandipha herself even called me

and assured me that this thing is legit.

THE "CITIZEN" REPORTED THAT MAGUDUMANA HAD, AT ONE STAGE,

BOUGHT A MERCEDES IN 2022, BUT DEFAULTED ON HER PAYMENTS.

That particular Mercedes Benz has been abandoned in Zimbabwe.

AND THEY TRACKED HER DOWN AND CONFRONTED HER IN A RESTAURANT.

I don't know if you wanna discuss this

in front of your colleague.

It's a personal matter with Carbon Black Auto,

where you took the car over the border to Zimbabwe.

You're still outstanding R700,000. There's a case opened against you.

- There's a docket against you. - Mm-hm?

So we just wanna try and sort this out amicably.

- You can speak in front of him. - Okay.

So you started paying and you stopped paying.

And the car also is across the board in Zimbabwe with false number plates.

No.

The car's still standing at the border.

We've tracked the car to the border.

The Hawks are on it, yeah.

AND YOU SEE HER VERY COOLLY, KINDA SHRUGGING HIM OFF,

AND THEN.. AND THEN EATING HER AVOCADO TOAST.

This man done used Dr Nandipha's name and dragged her through the mud

and took her for everything!

There's the vehicle.

It's an S-Class. S63 AMG.

Never put your name, reputation, and life on the line for a man.

It just got worse!

It just got worse!

TWITTER IS MY MORNING NEWSPAPER.

I HAD JUST WOKEN UP

AND I SAW THAT BESTER AND NANDIPHA WERE TRENDING AGAIN.

AND THERE WAS THIS VOICE NOTE MAKING THE ROUNDS.

The aggression in the male person's voice,

which has been alleged as Thabo Bester, comes across.

Clearly, the intent is to intimidate.

Whether it's a one-off event or it's part of a continued pattern

that is a perfect example of emotional abuse.

The voice note continues.

SO WHEN THIS VOICE NOTE FIRST APPEARED,

THERE WAS QUITE A WAVE OF CHANGED OPINION AROUND NANDIPHA.

Hey, you know,

I think it's time for us women to have an honest conversation

about why it is that we are always attracted to bad men.

IF IT IS REAL, IT IS POSSIBLY EVIDENCE OF BESTER'S TANTRUMS

AND EPISODES OF NARCISSISTIC RAGE,

AND SHOWS, PERHAPS, THE EMOTIONAL POWER THAT HE HAD OVER MAGUDUMANA.

SO WE DON'T KNOW THE ORIGINS OF THAT VOICE NOTE.

I BELIEVE THAT THE VOICE NOTE IS REAL. IT'S AUTHENTIC.

I'VE SPOKEN TO THABO BESTER ON MANY OCCASIONS IN THE PAST,

AND THAT'S HIS VOICE, AND NO ONE CAN TELL ME OTHERWISE.

THAT VOICE IS AUTHENTIC.

IF WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THABO'S PERSONALITY STRUCTURE,

COERCIVE CONTROL IS SOMETHING THAT FITS THE PICTURE, CLINICALLY.

AND FOR AS LONG AS NANDIPHA NEEDED TO FULFIL HIS FUNCTIONS,

THERE WAS NO WAY SHE COULD LEAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP.

IT HAS TO BE THABO WHO WOULD HAVE NOT NEEDED HER.

COERCIVE CONTROL IS A VERY STICKY SPIDERWEB THAT CATCHES

EVEN THE MOST INTELLIGENT AND EDUCATED OF MEN AND WOMEN.

IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT SHE PURPOSEFULLY COMMITTED THESE CRIMES,

INTENDED TO COMMIT THESE CRIMES, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY WAS SOMEHOW VICTIMISED

BY SOME FORM OF COERCIVE CONTROL, ABUSIVE BEHAVIOUR,

BECAUSE THOSE TWO THINGS DON'T HAVE TO BE SEPARATE.

THEY CAN EXIST IN THE SAME, YOU KNOW, TIME AND SPACE.

THERE'S A MASTER AND ONE WHO NEEDS TO BE A SUBORDINATE.

AND I CAN IMAGINE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRAIN

THAT THEN CAME AS A RESULT OF THAT CONTROL.

I KNOW HIS ANGER AND HIS TONE,

AND I KNOW NANDIPHA'S TONE WHEN SHE FEELS CORNERED,

WHICH MEANS SHE WAS A PRISONER. A PRISONER LIVING FREELY.

Stop telling us that Nandipha is a victim!

All these people that are busy telling us

that Nandipha Magudumana is a victim, and Thabo Bester manipulates...

DR MAGUDUMANA'S PROFESSIONAL REPUTATION WAS QUITE HEIGHTENED.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STOOD OUT TO ME IN HER REPRESENTATIONS

WAS THAT SHE HAD A DEEP INTEREST

IN THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF WOMEN.

I really advocate for people and for women...

AT THE SAME TIME, SHE WAS VISITING A SERIAL PREDATOR IN PRISON.

WHAT'S GOING ON?

IS THIS WOMAN BEING COERCED? I DON'T KNOW.

TO ME, THIS FEELS LIKE.. YOUR PARTNER IN CRIME.

I'M NOT SAYING LIFE IS BLACK AND WHITE AND THERE IS NO GREY AREA,

BUT THE LENGTHS THAT SHE ALLEGEDLY WENT THROUGH TO ASSIST HIM,

A CONVICTED RAPIST,

I CAN'T CONFIDENTLY SAY

THAT I THINK SHE'S AN INNOCENT VICTIM IN ALL OF THIS.

AS A PSYCHOLOGIST,

WHO WOULD BE THE MORE INTERESTING PATIENT FOR YOU?

THE MORE INTERESTING PATIENT FOR ME WOULD BE NANDIPHA.

BECAUSE OF HER COMPLEXITIES,

HER BACKGROUND, HER BEING A MEDICAL DOCTOR.

BUT MOSTLY, I WOULD LOVE TO WORK ON HER REHABILITATION,

AS TO HOW SHE'S GOING TO HEAL,

AND HOW SHE'S GOING TO HELP HER CHILDREN

UNDERSTAND THAT SOCIAL STIGMA,

THE GENERATIONAL BURDEN THAT THEN COMES WITH THE NARRATIVE OF...

I THINK THAT'S WHAT THESE CHILDREN WILL SUFFER.

AFTER WE PUBLISHED THAT ARTICLE,

AND AFTER IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THEY'D ESCAPED,

EVERYONE WAS TRYING TO FIND OUT WHERE THEY WERE.

MAGUDUMANA AND BESTER FLED THE COUNTRY

TWO DAYS AFTER WE PUBLISHED OUR ARTICLE.

BY THIS STAGE, EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THEY'D GONE TO,

WE KNEW THAT THEY'D GONE ON THE RUN.

THABO BESTER AND NANDIPHA MAGUDUMANA WERE TRENDING ON TWITTER.

OUR PHONE WAS RINGING OFF THE HOOK AT THE OFFICE WITH TIPOFFS,

PEOPLE CLAIMING TO HAVE SPOTTED THEM.

SO THE FOLLOWING DAY,

WE GOT HOLD OF THE LANDLORD OF THE HOME THAT NANDIPHA HAD BEEN LEASING.

THEY SAID THEY HAD NO IDEA THAT IT WAS THABO BESTER,

THAT THE LEASE AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED BY MAGUDUMANA AND TK NKWANA,

AND THAT THE CONTRACT WAS SIGNED EVEN WHILE BESTER WAS STILL IN PRISON.

AND HE CONFIRMED THAT AFTER THEY HAD FLED,

BOUNCERS HAD PITCHED UP AND COLLECTED HER THINGS.

WE WERE TOLD THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARRIVED THERE

CAME IN A BLUE LIGHT BRIGADE.

THEY WERE WEARING FANCY DESIGNER SHOES AND WATCHES.

SOME OF THEM WERE ARMED, BUT THEN THE LANDLORD WENT TO STOP THEM,

BECAUSE SOME OF THE STUFF THEY WERE CARRYING OUT,

HE SAID, BELONGED TO HIM.

AND THERE WAS A BIT OF A PHYSICAL ALTERCATION.

THERE ARE PICTURES OF NANDIPHA AND THABO BESTER THAT HAVE EMERGED

AS THEY WERE LEAVING THE COUNTRY.

YOU CAN SEE NANDIPHA IN THE PASSENGER SIDE WITH SUNGLASSES ON,

RELAXED, CHILLED.

THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE SOMEONE WHO'S...

I DON'T KNOW, AFRAID FOR HER LIFE.

SO I THINK THEY FLED SOUTH AFRICA

WITH EVERY INTENTION OF SETTING UP LIFE SOMEWHERE ELSE

UNDER ASSUMED IDENTITIES.

AFRICA WELCOME PEOPLE WITH MONEY.

THEY'RE NOT AS STRINGENT IN THEIR VETTING REQUIREMENTS.

AND I THINK THIS IS WHAT THABO AND NANDIPHA WERE LOOKING FOR.

THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A COUNTRY IN THE AFRICAN CONTEXT

THAT WOULD ACCEPT THEM, NOT NECESSARILY KNOW WHO THEY ARE,

BUT ACCEPT THEM FOR THE FACT THAT THEY APPEAR TO BE MONEYED.

IF YOU'RE MONEYED AND THE PERCEPTION IS YOU CAN INVEST IN THAT COUNTRY,

OR YOU CAN START A BUSINESS,

YOU CAN ENGAGE WITH THE LOCALS, EMPLOY PEOPLE,

PEOPLE TEND TO GLOSS OVER YOUR BACKGROUND.

WE WERE TOLD BY MAGUDUMANA'S BROTHER

THAT MAGUDUMANA HAD CONTACTED HER FATHER FROM MOZAMBIQUE.

BUT EVEN AT THAT TIME,

WE STILL HAD TO TAKE WHAT HE SAID WITH A PINCH OF SALT,

BECAUSE HE MIGHT HAVE HAD A MOTIVE TO PROTECT HIS SISTER,

AND PERHAPS HE WAS PURPOSEFULLY GIVING US WRONG INFORMATION.

NKOSINATHI PROVIDED US WITH A MOZAMBICAN CELLPHONE NUMBER

THAT MAGUDUMANA HAD SUPPOSEDLY USED TO CONTACT HER FATHER.

AND WE SHARED THIS EVIDENCE WITH THE POLICE.

THE POLICE DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THAT EVIDENCE.

AROUND THE SAME TIME, ZOLILE DID AN INTERVIEW WITH ENCA.

Nandipha Magudumana's father,

says he's really worried about his daughter.

What did she say to you?

She said she's in hiding.

And are you perhaps worried about her?

How can I not be worried about my daughter?

ALTHOUGH I DID FEEL SOMEWHAT SYMPATHETIC

FOR ZOLILE BEING CONCERNED ABOUT HIS DAUGHTER'S SAFETY,

I WAS ALSO VIEWING HIM AS A PERSON OF INTEREST,

BECAUSE IN NANDIPHA'S AFFIDAVIT,

SHE MENTIONED THAT ZOLILE AND HER ASSISTANT

WENT TO COLLECT THE BODY FROM THE MORGUE IN SOWETO.

IT WAS TWO WEEKS AFTER MAGUDUMANA AND BESTER

HAD VACATED THEIR MANSION THAT THE POLICE WENT TO RAID THE MANSION.

WE WERE HOPING AND BELIEVING

THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE INVESTIGATING THIS,

BUT IT SEEMED THAT THE POLICE WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING AT ALL.

AND BY THIS TIME,

EVERY NEWS PLATFORM IN THE COUNTRY HAD VISITED AND HAD BEEN IN IT.

I THINK A LOT OF SOUTH AFRICANS

REALLY BELIEVED THAT WAS THE END OF IT,

THAT WE WERE NOT GONNA GET THEM BACK.

I THINK BESTER AND MAGUDUMANA ALSO THOUGHT THEY'D GOTTEN AWAY WITH IT.

AND I THINK A LOT OF US, INCLUDING ME, THOUGHT,

"YOU KNOW, WELL I REALLY FEEL SORRY FOR HIS VICTIMS NOW,

BECAUSE NOW HE'S OUT THERE LIVING HIS LIFE."

Prior to the fire, somebody got killed.

We still don't know who that somebody is, but these guys do.

ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT REMAINED WAS,

"IF IT WASN'T THABO BESTER'S BODY THAT WAS IN THE CELL, WHOSE WAS IT?"

Breaking news this evening.

The police have identified the charred body

used in Thabo Bester's escape.