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Katlego Bereng: Father of man whose burnt body was found in Thabo Bester’s cell wants answers
The late Katlego Bereng’s family feels betrayed by the government.
The late Katlego Bereng’s father Batho Mpholo speaks to The Citizen at his home at Tembisa in Johannesburg, 23 April 2023. His son was identified as the body that was burnt in Thabo Bester’s cell at the Mangaung Correctional Centre. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
The late Katlego Bereng’s family are demanding answers about what happened to their son, whose burnt body was found in Thabo Bester’s cell at the Mangaung Correctional Centre.
The family of Bereng are planning to register cases with the police against the state, Bester and his accomplice, socialite-doctor Nandipha Magudumana.
Bereng’s family has been looking for him since he went missing in April last year.
Supplied photo of Katlego Bereng. Bereng’s body, which was found burnt, is believed to have been used in the escape of Bester in May last year.
The South African Police Service (Saps) confirmed late on Saturday that the charred body found in cell 35 at the Mangaung Correctional Centre had been identified.
However, speaking to The Citizen on Sunday, Bereng’s father, Batho Mpholo, said they were informed by the police on Friday about the latest developments regarding their son.
“The police called the mother of my son to inform her that they conducted DNA tests last week, but they did not identify which body they matched.
“We as a family feel that there is a lot that we are not being told about this whole case and it is for this reason that we decided that we should go and open a case with the police against the State, Bester and Dr. Nandipha,” said Mpholo.
Katlego Bereng’s father Batho Mpholo speaks to The Citizen at his home at Tembisa in Johannesburg, 23 April 2023. Picture: Nigel Sibanda He says the entire family feel lost and betrayed by the government and the manner in which the Thabo Bester saga was handled.
“We feel like we just don’t have any protection from government in a country where lawlessness continues unabated with no consequences.
“I also think that money has played a key role in the concealing of important information which could lead us to what exactly happened to our son,” he said.
Mpholo says while he thinks Bester is the mastermind of what happened to his son, he is also of the opinion that Magudumana had a hand in the death of his son.
Bester was recently re-arrested in Tanzania.
He was with his ‘accomplices’, Magudumana and a Mozambican national who was “assisting” them at the time of his apprehension.
During the dramatic arrest, the couple was found with several passports – with multiple identities – in their possession after being nine months on the run from authorities.
Bester escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein in May 2022, after it was initially believed he had committed suicide by setting himself alight in his cell.
However, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), which originally declared him dead, confirmed that the charred body found in his cell was not Bester.
The police did not want to comment further on the latest developments, saying the family has been notified by the investigating officer (IO).
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