SA’s porous borders enabled Bester’s escape: ISS

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South Africa’s porous border allowed Thabo Bester and his partner Nadipha Magudumana to escape and make it to Tanzania, says the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).

The two were nabbed in Arusha, Tanzania, where they were apparently making their way to Kenya, accompanied by a Mozambican national Zacharia Alberto.

They are expected to return to the country soon. A delegation of South African law enforcement has travelled to Tanzania.

Bester escaped from a correctional facility in Mangaung last year in May, after faking his death.

Senior Training Coordinator at the ISS Willem Els says, “For them to reach Arusha in Tanzania, they would have either had to travel through Mozambique, or through Zimbabwe and then onto Zambia, and then cross the border. What is interesting is that we also noticed that the minister mentioned that none of the numerous false passports that were found in their possession were actually stamped. So, that gives you an indication that there must have been some level of corruption at the border posts, where your immigration officials, not only on the South African side but also on the other sides where they had to cross.”

Process starts to bring Bester and accomplices back to SA;

The South African delegation will be engaging their counterparts in Tanzania on Monday to bring back convicted Bester, Magudumana and Alberto to South Africa.

The delegation includes the SAPS legal team, the investigating team involved in Bester’s escape, the NPA representative, the Free State head of detectives, and the Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, who is also the head of crime detective.

Interpol is also part of this team while officials from International Relations in Tanzania will be assisting the team to set up meetings with Tanzanian authorities.

Bester and the two have been moved from Arusha Police Station to a maximum prison in the region.

Update on Thabo Bester arrest in Tanzania:

TIMELINE: Thabo Bester Re-Arrest