All language subtitles for Tracking.Thabo.Bester.S01E03.720p.SMAX.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.x264

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.