Mzansi’s “Bonnie and Clyde”, Nandipha Magudumana, and Thabo Bester have to be one of the most unusual couple pairings in the spotlight.
Showmax’s true-crime docuseries Tracking Thabo Bester has dived into the criminal spree of the couple, who are currently awaiting their pre-trial in the Free State Court, which begins on 5 June 2024.
Along with seven others, the duo are facing charges of assisting Bester’s prison escape, fraud, corruption and violating multiple bodies.
In the third installment of Tracking Thabo Bester, currently streaming on Showmax, Nandipha Magudumana’s brother Nathi Sekeleni shared his thoughts on his sibling’s shady dealings with the criminal.
He said: “My theory is that Thabo Bester was snooping around online while he was in jail, and thought he could use her somehow. And he did exactly that. That’s what I think”.
Nathi added that his sister Nandipha was “in love” with the fraudster.
According to GroundUp, Nandipha began visiting Bester in prison in 2017. At the time, Bester was serving three concurrent life sentences, which he was handed down in 2011 and 2012. They were for two counts of rape, one count of murder, and armed robbery with aggravating circumstances.
“She visited him several times over the coming years. There was even one booking on Valentine’s Day”, claimed journalist Daniel Steyn.
However, in her sworn statement since her arrest, Nandipha claims she met Thabo Bester at Wits University in 2006, where he allegedly studied theology. Bester, however, only has a grade 7 education, the Department of Home Affairs has since revealed.
Nandipha also claims that she and Bester began dating in 2017, and he paid lobola for her in 2020.
In 2022, weeks after Bester’s escape, Nandipha approached the Free State High Court, claiming she was Bester’s “customary wife. The doctor had demanded to collect his “body”, after the prison fire where he had faked his death.
Authorities have since revealed that the body in question actually belonged to Bloemfontein resident Katlego Bereng.
In 2013, Nandipha married Mkhuseli Magudumana in 2013, who is also a medical doctor. The former couple shares two daughters: Ayana and Aziza.
In a tweet posted following her arrest, former friend Redi Tlhabi claims the couple divorced in 2022. However, conflicting reports claim that Nandipha is still legally married to Mkhuseli.
This was confirmed in Nandipha’s bail application, where she revealed that she is currently separated from her husband.
This revelation throws into disrepute the claims made by Nandipha about her romance with Thabo Bester.