According to media reports, Thabo Bester managed to escape from prison last year by faking his own death and setting fire to his cell. A body was found inside the cell, which was initially believed to be Bester’s, but was later identified as belonging to Mpholo.
His father, Batho Mpholo, is now demanding to know how his son died and how Bester managed to obtain his body. In an interview with ENCA news channel, Mr. Mpholo questioned how Bester could have gotten his hands on his son’s body if it was in a government mortuary.
The South African police declined to comment on Mr. Mpholo’s statement, only saying that they were pleased to bring closure to the family. Mr. Mpholo says that the family has not yet seen his son’s body and has been unable to start organizing a funeral.
The discovery that Mpholo’s body had been used in Bester’s escape raises many questions about the state of South Africa’s correctional system. Given the seriousness of Bester’s crimes, it is alarming that he was able to escape from prison and live undetected for a year.
Bester was dubbed the “Facebook rapist” by the media because he lured women with promises of jobs on the social media platform before attacking them.
He had been serving a life sentence after being convicted in 2012 for the rape and murder of his model girlfriend Nomfundo Tyhulu. The previous year, he had been found guilty of raping and robbing two other women.
The use of Mpholo’s body in Bester’s escape also raises questions about the treatment and management of detainees in South African prisons.
