Thabo Bester saga: Nandipha Magudumana abandons her rented mansion

Celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana’s possessions were being removed from her rented Hyde Park mansion on Tuesday when a quarrel broke out with the landlord. The landlord claimed that some of the things being removed from the building belonged to him.

Last week, GroundUp published several reports linking Magudumana to escaped rapist and murderer Thabo Bester. In the wake of these reports, Magudumana’s social media accounts have gone silent and some have been deactivated.

Bester was seen shopping with Magudumana and her daughter in a Woolworths in Sandton in June 2022, almost two months after the prison cell fire in which Bester was thought to have died. Magudumana has also claimed to be Bester’s customary law wife. 

It appears that Bester and Magudumana had been running a property renovation business called Arum Holdings. GroundUp is in possession of a recorded telephone conversation from last week between Bester and a client of Arum Holdings. Bester was using the name “TK Nkwana”.

After receiving a tip-off on Tuesday’s events at the Hyde Park mansion, GroundUp visited the site on Wednesday morning. A security guard stationed at the property confirmed that a quarrel took place between the landlord and Magudumana’s people.

According to the security guard, several trucks had arrived to move the possessions. The guard said that Magudumana had been evicted due to non-payment of rent.

Representatives of the landlord showed up, saying that some of the things being removed from the building belonged to the property company. GroundUp understands that the building is now abandoned.

The property next door, which several sources told us was being renovated to become Magudumana’s new wellness clinic, stands deserted and half-finished.

There are several rumours doing the rounds about Bester and Magudumana’s whereabouts. There are some reports that they have fled the country, others say they are still in Johannesburg.

Despite the compelling evidence published by GroundUp that Bester has escaped from prison and that Magudumana was his accomplice, authorities investigating the matter have not confirmed that he has escaped.

We have also not been able to ascertain whether the police are actively searching for Bester and Magudumana.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has said that the investigation has reached a critical stage. “It won’t be in the interest of justice to give any comment now as advised by the investigating team,” said the spokesperson for Free State SAPS, Brigadier Motantsi Makhele.

Answering questions from journalists last week, police minister Bheki Cele said that “it looks like the DNA confirms the person who died there is not the real person that you expect.”

“The police are aware…they are on the tracks, chasing and trying to find that person again,” Cele said.

Makhele told GroundUp: “Any information that can assist the police in resolving or investigating any matter can always be shared via Crime Stop Nr. 08600 10111, or via My SAPS App.”

We have been sharing all the evidence we uncover with the police.

We sent a request for comment to Magudumana’s lawyer, Vuyo Manisi, but had not received a response at the time of publication.

Published originally on GroundUp | By Daniel Steyn, Marecia Damons and Kimberly Mutandiro