The Thabo Bester case took an unexpected turn on Wednesday when one of the co-accused, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, apparently collapsed in the police holding cells just before the scheduled court appearance. This development has caused a delay in the proceedings at the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court.
According to reports from the SABC, Magudumana was taken from her hospital bed in the Kroonstad correctional centre in Free State and informed that she needed to travel to Bloemfontein. An ambulance was called to attend to her condition, although the exact details of her collapse remain unclear.
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The delay caused by Magudumana’s health issue has resulted in a one-hour postponement of the court proceedings. It remains uncertain whether she will be able to appear in court as scheduled.
The case revolves around the escape of Thabo Bester, a convicted rapist and murderer, from a Mangaung prison last year. Magudumana, her father, and 10 other individuals are facing charges related to Bester’s escape.
While nine of the co-accused have been granted bail by different courts, Bester and another accused have abandoned their bail applications. Magudumana, on the other hand, was denied bail by the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court last month.
Magistrate Estelle de Lange, in her ruling, stated that no bail conditions would be sufficient to ensure Magudumana’s attendance at the trial. The court found that she had failed to satisfy the interests of justice and therefore was not eligible for release on bail.
