It's Topical | Thabo Bester saga: Where does internet for prisoners come from?

Editorial Note
Correction: The graphic in the video showed an inaccurate location for the birth of Dr Nandipha Magudumana. This is an update to reflect that she grew up in Port Edward, KZN.
Undermining the criminal justice system. But for now, a convicted killer and rapist Thabo Bester is locked up. The National Prosecuting Authority says it is confident that it has a watertight case against Bester. He is set to appear in Court again on the 16th of May 2023. He is facing charges including escaping from lawful custody, defeating the ends of justice, violating a dead body and fraud. Bester's escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in the Free State, in May last year, has thrown the spotlight on security in this country's prisons. That correctional facility is operated by G4S on behalf of the South African government. So the ultimate responsibility lies with the government.
It lies with the Department of Correctional Services. Minister Ronald Lamola has apologised for Bester escaping.
For more news, visit sabcnews.com and #SABCNews on all Social Media platforms.

[@elizabethandrsu369]

Locked up and again moving freely outside When I hear this I can collapse.NOBODY can breakout from prison without the help of those who are working in prisons ".This man walked out from prison for sure.".

[@fezilemda8127]

Even before the so-called prison break, he was allowed to book a hotel and be with his girlfriend for an entire week.

[@elizabethandrsu369]

@@fezilemda8127 I believe you Fezile this country is just a blunder in the world.

[@vierakanjoka4194]

The man got money and he's well connected, I am not surprised, he will escape again after 3years

[@noluthandogcado9498]

This country is SODOM AND GOMORA

[@beautifulcrazy]

Ask prisoners, they will tell you who the real criminals are. Nobody asks them.

[@magdaline6383]

Its the prison guards

[@beautifulcrazy]

It was not a breakout. It was a walkout

[@vuyanitheo971]

🤭🤭🤭🤭

[@susanlarhubarbe9475]

That's what Glynnis Breytenbach called it.

[@PrincessVelaryon]

The question is how many have "died" in prison.

[@teeslife2408]

And escaped from prison

[@ThabiThabi]

Goodness!!! This question gives me chills

[@liya7568]

law abiding citizens must pay hefty prices for internet services yet criminals get it for free no wonder crime is rife in South Africa

[@DaPhreshestKidd]

Having open internet in jail, you're basically as free as a everyone else.

[@burnadettevomhagen7776]

Electricity (no loadshedding) - free Wifi - free

[@Rigza_wa_Jane]

Please investigate if Ananias Mathe's death is also real

[@njabulomsweli5057]

😂😂😂Lol my Mom raised the same question....

[@gdewyg]

Bester should be well protected because he's the source of information leading to implication of high profiles

[@fezilemda8127]

He won't talk, he'll protect his life. If he does talk, chances are that he'll be killed in prison

[@mpumelelongcobo4857]

This was a great video one of the few that have a lot of information. A lot more is coming out. The parliamentary videos are wild if you have a couple days they are worth a watch.

[@AnsaafmmxmZA]

Right now the only way to keep ourselves and our families safe is to leave this country and go some place where the government protects its law abiding citizens over its criminals

[@DvinPrizo]

Bye

[@hildahil8671]

Totally agree

[@AnsaafmmxmZA]

@@DvinPrizo ignorant people like are the reason we live in a sick world 🌎

[@Stizo2002]

But then it's not possible for 60 million people to immigrate 🤔

[@ashlieghmhlanga5787]

Nje

[@kopza79]

I don't understand why people call Thabo bester Michael Scholfield of SA..If you guys watch the entire prison break series, Michael Scholfield broke the law and purposely went to prison to break out his brother who was framed for murder.Micheal Schofield didn't bribe anyone to escape, he used his intellect to navigate his way out prison which he studied the blue prints of the prison.Not a single jail guard, or even the warden knew of his escape or was involved..The only person who left the door open for him to escape was Dr Sarah who did so after she was convinced that Scholfields brother was innocent and he was about to be executed for a crime he didn't commit.Thabo bester on the other hand bribed jail guards, wardens and management of the prison and he simply walked out. He isn't a genius like Schofield, you cannot compare the two..

[@DvinPrizo]

Common denominator escaped prison

[@vierakanjoka4194]

Ag,they are both cold blooded criminals

[@peculiar_flovvers]

I remember, in 2022, I was in the same venue with a lady who was on a video call with her inmate boyfriend. She didn’t want us to be in the video, however she showed us the guy. When I asked her why was she talking to the man, she said the man gave her attention and time which his then boyfriend who was not in prison was always busy😵‍💫since then, I’ve been asking myself “where do they get the internet from?”

[@kopza79]

Spiritual slay queen lol..That name says it all🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@nonhlanhlamathunjwa2837]

The main questions are why do they have phones and how did they get these phone

[@RecatoEberwein]

@@nonhlanhlamathunjwa2837 I guess the only pleasure she got from the inmate was a phone vibration...

[@Aygott]

Government where on the pay roll.

[@lerepuleng7532]

Wonderful studio right there ❤

[@kevinbromfield7595]

Crime and corruption is out of control in South Africa.

[@sqrd3536]

G4S should be sued for putting the public at risk. Nandipha has three corpes under her belt and she plays innocent. She's evil. Claiming a body of a stranger saying it's her father can only spell heartless. Thabo's crime spree started at 4 yrs old, he's sociopath with narcissistic traits.

[@noluthandogcado9498]

Kakhulu

[@AnsaafmmxmZA]

These inmates are all over TikTok they living their best lives

[@tl3482]

With money hungry correctional service officials and wealthy prosiners, escapes will not stop happening

[@RameshSingh-gj1jb]

Definitely. Who can we go to as ordinary citizens, who do we trust?

[@LeratoM98]

Seems too easy how he was able to do all this and cheat the system without help from higher ups. Definitely powerful people in govt /police system involved.

[@kopza79]

Conspiracies, conspiracies conspiracies..🙄

[@jameskillu9171]

Criminals are in vacation in prison. given free internet that the innocent pay dearly.

[@DiTeMalifecoaching]

We are not safe.

[@teeslife2408]

Tax payers 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

[@missbae28]

Let's applaud that kzn centre that actually takes the interest of the public serious by keeping those criminals locked

[@LeratoM98]

Music too loud

[@Futhi.Johnson]

You would think a movie is about to start..just annoying

[@YvonneCave]

I love the presentation

[@rostephrama]

Dr Nandhipha met Bester in 2006 so she was aware about his misdeeds???? And continued to share a relationship with this skoroplaap

[@khanyamazkhali6949]

That realy baffles me

[@vierakanjoka4194]

True love

[@lucymthembu7021]

Exactly, nandipha met love of her life long time ago.she is still happy with this man who made a history in SA now is time they both tell us what business they ran,who was customers .and how many people they killed every month 😊

[@yandisamadikizela2959]

Correction, Nandipha was born in Bizana true, she grew up in Port Edward a small town next to Bizana not in Port St John's. She went to school in Port Shepstone High School.

[@khulekaninyuswa721]

How many were recaptured out of 117???

[@MyOpinionShatUp]

The "beautiful doctor's" real face is shown here. By the way, this SABC news reporter is all over the place or unprepared 😒 it's irritating.

[@bazillazee9414]

When did it become a surprise Sir? You knew from November 2022 and kept quite and thought the story will disappear

[@burnadettevomhagen7776]

G4S's track record is shocking. The government should never have appointed them at the model prison!

[@evergram5237]

Watching from France, my opinion is more people are involved in this and if those people are mentioned, more lives can be lost. The lady had so much to lose yet she went straight with this, sad

[@rostephrama]

Was he roaming free in and out from 2012 onwards,how did he meet Dr Nandhipha?

[@liya7568]

they met in 2006 she contacted him in 2020. looks like she helped him to roam around the time line matches

[@luciamatsabe6989]

​@@liya7568she contacted him in 2017 and in 2020 they were already planning the escape

[@2lane1515]

And the government should ask besters mom why she didn't register him😢

[@petauification]

This is why no one is ready to report or be a whistleblower. Convicted criminals can walk out of prison and can retaliate.

[@lebohanghlalele7814]

😢our country will remain in tears 4decade cz of corruption that left uncountable,we need answers bit reality is only action needed hear....

[@toxic-tuning]

My trust was lost when shabir sheik was found playing golf in the sun... after being released for medical reasons....

[@tweet4132]

It can only cime from a corrupt system in South African😶

[@khulekaninyuswa721]

And this brur came back to get arrested on a luxury private jet 😅😅😅

[@yoliswaosang5972]

I have come again a mother witj a son in Maximum in East London, he wanted to be moved somewhere in maybe Limpopo or any of some sort but hr was deprived that

[@ianthomas7819]

Please, someone, explain to me, what type of person [Council/Attorney] goes to court and makes an effort to defend a criminal with this record, yes I know it's the legal system, PS to charge exorbitant fees, is it about money or the law.

[@kryminalnaafryka3314]

Everyone has right to be defended. Without defence the trial cannot go on.

[@jabulilemokale7647]

Devil's advocate

[@susanlarhubarbe9475]

Counsel* ...& everyone has a right to legal representation should they wish to have it.

[@vierakanjoka4194]

It is his constitutional right to be represented

[@ralphadams470]

Ityala likaBester liza kubamba i-Anc.UMalema uthe cwaka, ndiyazibuza ukuba kutheni.

[@teeslife2408]

Why is Malema quiet Vele? His also not saying anything about the Gold Mafia 😂😂

[@rosalinelekay8946]

Me too worried where is malema . Why did he not act or march!

[@WokeDetection]

Your timeline is no timeline. We need details. We know a judge leaked the information to ground up but no one is reporting this. We know that two prisoners tried to blow the whistle and they were ignored. We know that thabo has been in and out of prison for weekends. We know that Dr Nandipha got 3 bodies for thabo. We need a proper timeline here

[@Inprogress_of_newbeginings]

What an entrance, the presentation

[@princemdluli5095]

I guess we need to know how many Besters in our Prisons in SA who enjoy the same luxury.

[@princemdluli5095]

I don't believe this happens for the first time

[@SAsNextTopRapper]

She grew up in Port Edward

[@nthaemben]

This men has been free for 10 months..scary 🤤🤤

[@yoniem9835]

Never ending saga

[@missbae28]

They had a watertight case even before. It still didn't stop him from living a lavish life and subsequently escaping😂😂😂😂😭🚮🚮🚮

[@thandopaul1834]

How is Nandipha a victim 😢

[@hlumekadumezweni7943]

Co-ask sana! But we shall hear as the case proceeds

[@Masibigirigudani]

We don't have crimanalogist here in south Africa ?

[@PumezoPantsi-qh2rw]

Lest all agree on few things . G4S really drop the ball on Thabo Bester 's escape but concerned that the laptops for distant learning are also under scrutiny. As the former inmates who was in with Thabo at Manguang I don't believe laptop was mainly used more than cellphone. DSC knows cellphones are more prevalent than laptops. Besides DSC systems are incapable to track even the best performing inmates on their studies. I suggest the radical transformation of DSC rehabilitation systems instead of questioning the hardworking rehabilitation journey of most inmates using laptops and internet. How i is inmates social intergration be possible if we do our online studies?

[@mercyphensulo5570]

Wait did this man say Mathe is back at C-max and they must make sure no Vaseline bottles are lying around? or I heard wrong? Or was he talking about bester? Cos Mathe died right?

[@tautebellojames7661]

That's what he said 😮... and SABC brought him on tv 📺

[@motebangmokoena9810]

Relaying the correct information is critical in journalism specially considering the fact that you dealing with real lives here and every detail has the possibility of causing a ripple effect. 2 and half minutes in this vid and SABC has got where she was raised completely incorrect.

[@vierakanjoka4194]

Pays your Correctional Services Officers decent Salaries,escapees figure will drop massively for now we r all hungry for💰💰💰💰💰💰

[@7775dawn]

Imagine how much money this country could safe by bringing back the death sentence, all peronel need to be life style audited

[@zosibiya1398]

What water tight evidence ?this guy was convicted already he has nothing to loose,we want his crooneys who assisted him

[@ntomboxolomnyande5674]

Lo Singabakho ulimenemene le xoki uyayazi yonke izinto ezenziwa ngamabanjwa phakathi eziseleni i cellphone amadrugs ayathengiswa phakathi eziseleni amapolisa asebenza nezibotshwa

[@hannavanderwat5689]

Scares me very much to be living in South afrixa.

[@emmaculatemabokela8845]

It's a hot mess people are holding live charts on TikTok while wearing the orange suit ... SA is a joke really.. and why was he allowed to have that laptop 24/7 wasn't he supposed to have it in class only, for security reasons?

[@faithrubin4293]

23 hours a day in solitary = cruel and unusual punishment. No redemption.

[@felicitymasiu96]

It's 70km from matatiele to kokstad. Bring nandipha over here too.

[@dankiemathebula9918]

He never break up, they open for him please correct that

[@faizapillay5845]

this presenters voice....South African made? WOW!

[@ZamileMagula]

Why there are criminal cases that are marked as high profile n other's are cases...look Thabo n Nandipha their arrested was a bit fancy they weren't seating at the back of Police van . Were taken with Fortuner

[@yoliswaosang5972]

He is serving 51years imprisonment but there is nothing that something better is going to happen sooner as they are delaying to make his ID

[@amthembu1956]

In America there was an. escape from death row prison. The govnor of the area his govership. Heads have to roll in the government

[@budboaz5957]

This dr nandipha is evil and dangerous.. i dont know why people think she is a victim in all this or was forced to commit these horrendous crimes.

[@felicitymasiu96]

I heard he is coming to my region. 🤣🤣🤣Kokstad.

[@gzeleeroy9730]

Besides fraud how many other crimes did he commit while he was on the loose..what if he killed and raped many because in the real world he was "dead" right

[@vierakanjoka4194]

If you got money anything is possible, this kind of things happen all over the World, blood will shed,bribes will happen.....alot of people involves

[@derickarendse9546]

Corruptees untouchables politicians involved

[@cleodontina1]

Give them computers but with a proxy filtering what they can access. The same way your internet is controlled when you're in a company.

[@Roma25790]

How do prisoners get to go live on tiktok while in prison? Why are they not working in fields growing veggies etc. The taxpayer has to suffer for these criminals to live in luxury.

[@cobihillssteyn7975]

Bribery and corruption what is happening to SA.

[@bevshaw367]

Presenters jacket two sizes too small. Did they not have his size?

[@Rose-n8k7n]

Innocent people for patty things is arrested its all about pick and choose he must rot in jail

[@debbiepillay7677]

Stealing and drugs chould not be jailed..lock the drug lords

[@derickarendse9546]

Prisoners got more rights then the law abiding citizens. They takes our tax money for a ride.

[@wordofgodthroughtheapostle1812]

ThaboBester 😊

[@Stizo2002]

Those guards do not have gloves whilst searching the cells

[@zena3413]

Port Edward

[@ntombizd]

Port Edward not Port St Johns😮

[@TheKayAll]

Eish... These random panelists. What qualifies them to be here giving their 2cents worth of opinion! That's my take.

[@jeanettevorster9293]

Corruption is everywhere. This land is in hands of Devil, antichrist.

[@NoelBrowne-yq1ht]

Internet for prisoners in africa is called: welcome to How Africa Works. We know where the Africa Gold Reserve is going. Now we know how and where the natural Raw Materials are leaving Africa without the respective government not knowing. Where is the other African reporter beyond Al Jazeera? Africa isn't poor. it's the Medio reporting on what's going out and what coming in and by how. Reporters - Do your Jobs.

[@lorrainemalambo7676]

Didn't some of G4S officials said Thabo Bester was studying through DAMELIN college thats why he was in possession of a LAPTOP lol

[@LightningSoucerer]

My question is how did he register with Damelin without an ID number?

[@siyasanganseula8606]

@@LightningSoucerer my exact question as well !

[@lwandlemanyisane2191]

She grew up in Port Edward 😭

[@aviwesofono5937]

😭😭

[@noluthandogcado9498]

Prison warders bring them in for prisoners and prisoners pay them for that

[@colinhartley]

Simple - Bring back the Death penalty and stop wasting tax payers money!

[@Rose-n8k7n]

We definitely need to move to a country were the Law is extremely hard on prisoners our life is more important not living in fear of criminals paradise South Africa is a Criminal's Paradise not for Law abiding citizens were we have a lovely family braai injoyment safe and sound bye for now

[@felicitymasiu96]

Watch the movie law abiding citizen.

[@missmoafonso2137]

BESTER DID NOT ESCAPE… HE GOT PERMISSION TO LEAVE AND THE DOORS WAS UNLOCKED FOR HIM TO WALK OUT OF JAIL… HE WALKED OUT AND DID NOT ESCAPE. BESTER IS NOT A DANGER TO US, THE PRESIDENT AND HIS LEADERS ARE THE DANGER … CR7 AND THE MINISTER IS QUIET… TELL ME WHY??? Mr. President

[@ProflowTV]

he deserve kokstad transfer him there this man needs to suffer, Bhongweni is the correct one for him

[@felicitymasiu96]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. They planned everything in detail..

[@jkb98274]

Shoddy workmanship from the authorities

[@nkululekozulu8794]

No one ever broke out of eBhongweni. This news source is very flawed. Also Nandipha grew up in Port Edward not port st johns

[@missbae28]

And please be easy on the annoying theme song

[@7775dawn]

Prison system is a laugh , ask any druggie or criminal

[@siphomagasane2614]

Bester is not that type of human being you busy referring him as but one day you will get my point

[@shirazebrahim2858]

Absolutely putrid

[@wamkelwemcwabeni1254]

There are different types of escapes. Be clear and not mislead your viewers.