His case shocked and outraged many people, who wanted him to face justice for his heinous acts. Here is what we discovered about Thabo Bester’s case.

Bester was Raised by his Grandmother from the Age of 1

Thabo Bester’s birth was a mystery that puzzled many people. He was born on June 13, 1986, in Johannesburg, South Africa, to a single mother named Maria Mabaso. But he was never registered as a South African citizen by the Department of Home Affairs. He had no identity document or proof of his nationality.

It was only on May 22, 2023, that he finally got his official papers, thanks to the intervention of Aaron Motsoaledi, the former South African home minister. Motsoaledi confirmed that Bester was born at Chris Hani Bragwanath Hospital, but his mother never registered him on the National Population Register.

His childhood was also a mystery that haunted him. He was only one year old when his mother left him with her mother. She wanted to pursue her own life and career, and she rarely visited him. As a result, his mother and grandmother had a lot of problems and conflicts, and they never reconciled.

He grew up with his grandmother, who loved him and cared for him. When she fell ill and died in his teenage years, he lost his only family and home. He wandered around the streets, looking for his mother, but he could not find her, and neither could she.

He Went Into a Life of Crime as a Teenager

During his adolescence, Bester, largely unsupervised, fell into a life of crime that frequently involved swindling. He was known to use a variety of aliases, such as Tom Motsepe, TK Nkwana, Katlego Tom Motsepe Nkwana, and William Kelly.

At the tender age of 19, he was convicted of fraud and sentenced to two years in prison. Despite being granted parole, he did not seize the opportunity to reform and soon returned to his criminal activities.

He began by enticing women on Facebook, a tactic that led to the rape of two models. Tragically, he also took the life of his girlfriend, Nomfundo Tiyhulu. Like his previous victims, Nomfundo was a model. He claimed her death was unintentional and admitted to being responsible for her demise but denied intentionally killing her.

To understand this situation more clearly, let’s break it down. The lovers reportedly traveled to Sunset Beach, where they rented a room at a bed and breakfast. During their stay, he alleges that an argument ensued, during which a knife was introduced.

A struggle over the weapon resulted in her being stabbed. He maintains that he had no intention of killing her, arguing that if he had planned to commit murder, he would have chosen a more secluded location.

While the details of their initial meeting remain unknown, one fact is undeniable: the death of his girlfriend marked a new and more severe phase in his criminal behavior.

Unsurprisingly, he was apprehended and subsequently pleaded guilty to the rapes in 2011 and the murder in 2012. As a result of his actions, he was held accountable and sentenced to life imprisonment at the Mangaung Correctional Centre, a private security prison operated by G4S.

Bester Continued to Commit Crimes from Inside the Prison

Despite his incarceration, Bester, a notorious con artist, didn’t cease his criminal activities. He cunningly established 21st Century Media, a sham media and events company, during his prison term. Ingeniously, he linked it to the renowned 21st Century Fox. To lend credibility to the operation, he appointed Phumudzo Thenga as the company’s sole director. The plot thickens as Bester reportedly manages his company via text messages.

In a bold move in 2018, his company claimed American actresses Taraji P. Henson and Halle Berry as guest speakers for one of its media events. However, both Henson and Berry denied any association with this information on Twitter which is now known as X. Despite being exposed, he began plotting his escape from prison.

He Faked His Death to Escape from Prison

News broke on May 3, 2022, that Bester had tragically passed away. The details revealed that he perished in a prison cell fire, leaving a body so severely burnt it was unrecognizable. The Department for Correctional Services ruled his death a suicide, but this explanation was met with skepticism. By October 2022, investigative reports began to circulate.

Marecia Damons, reporting for the South African News Agency GroundUp, was the first to cast doubt on the prison’s account of events. Subsequent reports from the same agency suggested that the post-mortem results of the body found in the cell indicated a time of death prior to the fire. This raised questions about the identity of the deceased. It was later revealed that a murder investigation had been underway before the fire broke out. Armed with this new information, Marecia collaborated with Daniel Steyn for her third report.

The last report made it clear that Bester had faked his death and had also been working with a close accomplice named Dr. Nandipha Magudumana. Maguduma worked as a celebrity doctor and from court records, she claimed to be Bester’s customary law wife. While this explains their relationship, the investigation also revealed that the celebrity doctor had demanded the body found in the cell be returned to her.

Considering all this evidence, in March 2023, the Department for Correctional Services finally agreed that indeed, Bester had escaped from prison.

The Body Found in Thabo Bester’s Prison Cell was Identified as Katlego Bereng Mpholo

Although the body used to stage Bester’s death was charred beyond recognition, DNA testing later identified it as Katlego Bereng Mpholo, matching the DNA of his mother. Reports indicate that Katlego had been missing since April 2022, and considering Bester’s prison cell fire occurred in May 2022, it’s plausible to connect these two incidents.

Upon identification, it became clear that Bester’s escape was meticulously orchestrated. Batho Mpholo, the deceased’s father, stated that police initially informed him that his son had collapsed in Bloemfontein City and subsequently died. His body was reportedly taken to the mortuary. However, further investigation revealed that Katlego’s cause of death was a blunt-force trauma to the head.

See Also: Rosemary Ndlovu: 7 Facts About Alleged South Africa’s Killer Ex-Cop

How the Facebook Rapist was Rearrested

In the wake of numerous reports surrounding Bester’s fabricated death, it became clear that the police were under pressure to apprehend him and return him to custody. The urgency of the situation led a private security firm, Fidelity, to offer a reward of R100,000 on Facebook to anyone who could provide information leading to his arrest.

However, Bester managed to evade public scrutiny and no one came forward with information. During this period, he resided in a rented apartment in Hyde Park with his main accomplice, the celebrity doctor Magudumana. To maintain his anonymity, he reverted to his old habit of using aliases, adopting the name TK Nkwana.

True to his entrepreneurial spirit, he established Arum Properties, a fraudulent company. He persuaded individuals to make deposits for construction projects which, given the company’s illegitimate nature, were never completed. The funds collected were used to finance his escape to another country.

Fortunately, authorities were able to locate Bester and Magudumana in Arusha, Tanzania, and they were apprehended on April 8, 2023. At the time of their arrest, they were in possession of numerous passports belonging to various individuals. He attempted to resist arrest and implored the police not to harm him. Magudumana, who was found wearing a veil, cooperated with the police.

Following their arrest, the Tanzanian government promptly deported them. In this instance, eight additional individuals were charged in relation to Bester’s escape. New charges were filed, making them the focus of court proceedings. Both Bester and Magudumana applied for bail in September 2023 but their applications were denied.

The post Who Is Thabo Bester? Truth About His Crimes, Escape, And Rearrest appeared first on WeAfrique.

The evil women in Africa have lived in different eras. While some of them have died long ago, others have vanished and justice still lingers. Others on the other hand have gotten jail terms. Anyway, some of these evil African women were killed.

Meet the Most Evil Women in Africa and Their Wicked Deeds

1. Credonia Mwerinde was Responsible for the deaths of Over 2000 People 

Credonia, nicknamed the Priestess of Death is probably the evilest woman ever recorded in Africa. She was responsible for the death of over 700 of her followers. Some reports even claim that she saw the death of over 2,000 people.

This may seem the end of her evil ways but there’s more to her story. Credonia, a Ugandan started as a bar owner and prostitute until she joined the Roman Catholic Church and claimed that Mary, the mother of Jesus appeared to her. She was able to deceive locales and soon enough, she started the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God church which is now tagged a cult group.

Under her leadership, members were made to sell their properties and submit the proceeds to the church. She subjected them to poverty and living in silence. The members were only allowed to speak to her and other leaders of the church using signs or written messages.

In 1999, Credonia, the Priestess of Death revealed to her followers that the world was going to end. Hence, they needed to sell their property and bring forth all the proceeds.

The world did not end before 1 January 2000 as she claimed. In March 2000, followers were locked in the church and set ablaze. It is recorded that about 500 to 700 people died in the inferno.

At first, it was believed to be a mass suicide. However, several graves were found within the church and Credonia’s home. Then, it was discovered that she had earlier killed many followers, mostly children by poisoning them.

Another source has even pointed out that she also killed her siblings to inherit their property, including the land on which she built her church.

The cult leader and other leaders fled the town and are even believed to have moved to other countries.

2. Ranavalona I of Madagascar Was Responsible for the deaths of Over 10,000 people

This is one of the evilest women ever recorded in Africa. Her extreme ways made her nicknamed the “Mad Queen of Madagascar”.

She was responsible for the death of over 10,000 people, including her stepson who was also the heir of Madagascar, and his mother.

She was brutal in her punishment, especially to those not loyal to her throne. Among Ranavalona’s punishments was giving chicken skin to her victims and then following it up with a nut of a plant to make them throw everything up.

The Mad Queen of Madagascar also killed many Westerners and hung their heads on pikes to warn others in her land.

She died peacefully in 1861 and at her burial, gunpowder was accidentally ignited which led to the killing of many.

Despite her evil ways, the world still remembers her as a woman who fought slavery in Madagascar. She also promoted cultures and traditions in the kingdom.

3. Cleopatra Killed Her Brother and Championed the Killing of Her Sister

You may have heard of Cleopatra’s beauty, intelligence, and Charisma but have you heard of her being one of the evil Queens of Africa?

Cleopatra, a product of incest is nicknamed Serpent of the Nile or Evil Tempress of the Nile because of her deeds. She was responsible for the death of her younger brother Ptolemy XIV. This was so her son would be her co-ruler.

Also, the Egyptian Queen made her lover, Mark Anthony lead the killing of her sister Arsinoe IV who was in exile.

She died of suicide in 30 BC.

4. The Serial Killer Nomia Rosemary Ndlovu 

If you think you have seen all about the evil women in Africa’s history, I bet you have not heard the story of Rosemary Ndlovu, a South African serial killer who was also a police officer. She killed 6 people, including her relatives and her spouse.

Ndlovu also attempted to kill her mother and burn her sister with her 5 children to death.

Why did she kill all of these people? Money was her major driving force. Ndlovu earned 1.4 million Rands from life and funeral insurance after the death of her victims.

She committed her crime from 2012 to 2018. Her killing spree ended when she was planning to burn her sister and her children to death. She was sentenced to 6 concurrent life terms.

See Also: 10 Most Evil Men In Africa’s History

5. Sibling Serial Killers Raya and Sakina

These Egyptians are the most notorious female serial killers. The 2 women were sisters who killed more than 17 women from 1919 to 1920 in the Labban neighborhood of Alexandria, Egypt.

To further make their story surprising, they committed the crimes with their husbands and with the help of 2 women.

The women were owners of a brothel and they mostly got their victims from there. They would then lure the women, kill them, and retrieve their jewelry, clothes, money, and other possessions.

Raya and Sakina were arrested and tried for the murders. They were sentenced to death alongside their husbands in 1921.

The evil sisters became the first in modern Egypt to the executed.

Their story has inspired many films. These films include the following:

• Raya and Sakina (TV series, 2005)
• Raya and Sakina (the theatrical production from 1985)
• Raya and Sakina (1983)
• Ismail Yasin Meets Raya and Sakina (1955)
• Raya and Sakina (1953)

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Cleotha Abston, Eliza Fletcher’s murder suspect is a 40-year-old American criminal known to have kidnapped, rapped, and murdered innocent American citizens over the years.

He was first sent to jail at 18 for kidnapping a lawyer named Kemper Duran. Despite staying behind bars for over 20 years, the infamous kidnapper still moved back to his previous criminal life. At the moment, he is being charged with multiple criminal offenses including the kidnap and first-degree murder of  Eliza Fletcher.

Early Life and Criminal Record of Cleotha Abston

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According to available records, Abston was born in 1984 and is a native of Memphis Tennessee.

Much is not known about his family except for his brother Mario Abston who is said to be an aspiring rapper. Cleotha is also known to have an uncle named Nathaniel Isaac.

The 40-years-old’s early life was characterized by several criminal acts. He dropped out of school in 9th grade and started picking things that did not belong to him when he was only 11 years old.

At 14, he began to face several criminal charges, mostly relating to rape. When he turned 16, he notably kidnapped a Memphis Lawyer named Kemper Duran at gunpoint and forced him to withdraw some money from an ATM nearby.

He was later arrested and found to be guilty of kidnapping by the court. This earned him a 24 years prison sentence which he started serving when he turned 18. However, he was released in November 2020 after over 2 decades of incarceration.

His Brother, Mario Abston also has a Long Criminal History

Cleotha’s brother Mario Abston also has a long criminal history just like Abston. He is known to have been previously arrested for illegal possession of arms in 2007 and domestic violence in 2018.

Furthermore, Fresh charges of illegal possession of arms and drugs were meted out on Mario in 2022.

SEE ALSO: LaToyia Figueroa: Her Life and Shocking Murder- Unknown Facts

Cleotha Abston’s Life After Prison and the Murder of Eliza Fletcher

After Abston was released from prison in 2020, he reunited with his brother Mario Abston in Memphis Tennessee, and impressively began to work as a car cleaner in a nearby cleaning service.

Unfortunately, Abston’s old habits never died despite his long jail term. He decided to slip back to the same crime that got him in trouble several years back when he laid his hands on Eliza Fletcher.

On Friday, September 2, 2022, Eliza Fletcher, a 34-year-old kindergarten teacher at St. Mary’s Episcopal School and billionaire heiress of the Joe Orgill family was reported to be missing by her husband Richard Fletcher.

Investigations by the authorities later revealed that she was actually kidnapped by Cleotha Abston around 4:00 am when she went jogging near the University of Memphis. The police got to know that Cleotha was responsible for her kidnap because his DNA matched the sample found by the investigating team at the scene of the crime.

Furthermore, police confirmed Cleotha’s involvement in the crime because CCTV captured the SUV car he used to kidnap Eliza. Abston’s boss as well said that he had previously seen Abston with the car in question. More so, another eye witness confirmed that she saw Abston washing the interior of the same SUV car some hours after Fletcher was reported missing.

With all these shreds of evidence, the police were convinced beyond doubt that Cleotha was the kidnapper. However, he declined to share Fletcher’s location despite several interrogations.

The case became more serious when the authorities found Fletcher’s corpse on September 5, 2022, in a house 7 miles away from where she was kidnapped by Abston.

Abston’s Charges, Bond, and Legal Hearings

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Abston is currently facing charges of kidnapping, tampering with evidence, and first-degree murder in perpetration of kidnapping. Others are identity theft, abduction, theft of property, and fraudulent use of a credit card.

He had been to court 3 times after he was apprehended by the police and his defense motion was slated for September 8, 2022.

While the hearing on his case is still on, Shelby County district attorney, Steve Mulroy said on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, that a first-degree murder conviction carries sentences of life in prison with or without parole or the death penalty.

As it stands, Cleotha’s prosecutors have asked that his $500,000 bond be revoked by the court. This means he will be temporarily held without bond until the hearing on his case is completed.

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