By Staff Reporter
Convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester who managed to escape from a South African prison by faking his own death, has been apprehended in Tanzania.
For a year, Bester was on the run after it was believed that he had perished by self-immolation in his cell.
However, a recent post-mortem investigation proved otherwise, and authorities launched a manhunt. Bester was arrested with his girlfriend Dr. Nandipha Magudumana and another accomplice, and he will be extradited to South Africa to face justice. The police suspect that the trio was attempting to flee to Kenya.
Bester had earned the moniker of the “Facebook rapist” for his use of social media to lure victims.
The prison was run by the British security firm G4S, whose employees are alleged to have aided in Bester’s escape.
South Africans were outraged by the incident, as the country has one of the highest incidences of sexual assault in the world.
Police Minister Bheki Cele said that Tanzanian police had followed the fugitives as they were leaving their hotel in a black SUV. It is believed that they were on their way to crossing the Tanzanian border, presumably into Kenya.
They were found in the Arusha region of Tanzania – which is close to the Kenyan border.
“We have confirmed with all relevant authorities in Tanzania that the fugitives are being processed in the Tanzanian justice system,” Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said. “We are confident that we will receive maximum cooperation from our sister country Tanzania.”
