Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla has hinted to a ploy in the Thabo Bester escape, saying that there was collusion between staff members at a government mortuary and the person who claimed Katlego Bereng’s body.
Phaahla told Parliament that it was clear that there were two parties involved in the plot to claim Bereng’s body from the mortuary.
He said the procedure on how people can claim bodies was very clear, but in this case it appeared things were done differently and the body ended up in Bester’s cell where it was burnt.
Phaahla, who was answering questions in Parliament, said he believes the police were still investigating Bester’s escape.
The minister was responding to questions on unclaimed bodies in morgues and if there was collusion among officials in Bester’s escape at the mortuary.
Bester is on trial with Dr Nandipha Magudumama and several other people. Some of the accused worked for G4S security firm that was running Mangaung prison.
The court in Bloemfontein is expected to deliver judgment on Magudumana’s bail application on Monday. Magudumana’s father, Zolile Sekeleni, is already out on bail with some of the other accused.
Bester is continuing to serve his life imprisonment sentence at the Kgosi Mampuru prison in Pretoria.
Phaahla described Bester’s escape as a criminal act.
“It is quiet clear that there was collusion between the people looking after the bodies and also a member of society who indeed claimed the body, which was a false claim,” said Phaahla.
“That’s a criminal act. It takes two to tango. There were two parties and that will emerge more clearly. The system is very clear, the procedures are very clear in terms of proper identification, documentation before a body can be claimed, that there should be proper verification.”
Bereng, whose body was used as a decoy for Bester to escape, was buried a few months ago in Bloemfontein after the police confirmed that the body found at Bester’s cell was his.
The body had been burnt and the police used DNA to identify him.
The trial is expected to begin in the next few months after formal bail processes and other issues have been done away with.
Bester and Magudumana were arrested early this year after they were caught in Tanzania by the authorities. The police said they were 10km away from the border with Kenya.
Bester had been convicted of rape and murder more than 10 years ago and he started serving his sentence in Bloemfontein.
It emerged that he escaped from prison in May 2022.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co,za
IOL Politics