Cape Town - The father of the man whose charred body was discovered in convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester’s prison cell, said the family would meet with authorities on Monday to get answers on the murder and cover-up of his son’s death.
Batho Mpholo, 51, said he was informed on Friday after DNA tests revealed that the body found in Mangaung Correctional Centre cell 35 was that of his 32-year-old missing son, Katlego Bereng.
“I felt dead for a moment when I heard that he died, and it felt like a dream. I couldn't believe that it's him. I was shocked and heartbroken.
We need answers, we are not happy about how he died.
“My analysis of this is that he was kidnapped and murdered and his body kept somewhere to decompose so that they could use it as a decoy. I will seek answers from the authorities.
“We aren't in the right state of mind to even think about burial. We need the state to come to the party.
The government has failed us, we are suffering,” he said.
Mpholo said Bereng was a father of two young children who loved soccer, were always happy and never gave him any trouble.
“I had lost contact with him many years ago and we were reunited in 2018. That was the happiest time of my life.”
He said that his grief-stricken family grew concerned after weeks went by without hearing from his son or seeing him active on social media, which prompted a year-long search for him.
His mother, Monica Matsie, said her son lived with his grandmother at the time of his disappearance.
“We started realising that he was missing and in March we opened a case with the police in May and began searching.
“I had searched hospitals and looked everywhere for him without avail.
“When I first heard of the Bester case, I cringed because whenever there was a story about a body discovered on the news, I'd wonder whether this was my son or not.
“When the police officer came to ask this year whether we had found my son, I said no and they asked to do a DNA test.
“I questioned whether my son had been found but was told that the police are doing this to see if there was a match on any of the bodies.
“Most DNA tests were not a match, but then on Friday, they came to my work and requested that I come with them.”
Matsie said she was then told that the body found in Bester’s cell in May last year was a match.
“I truly believed that he was alive, I never lost hope, but this is heartbreaking,” said the mother.
Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said: “Police can confirm that the charred body found in cell 35 at Mangaung Correctional Centre has been identified following a direct match with the biological mother of the deceased.
“The family has been notified by the investigating officer. As difficult as the news is, the SAPS is pleased to bring closure to the family.”
Legal expert, Modidima Mannya, said that from a legal perspective, a lot of details would first need to be established before the family could proceed with suing anyone.
“First, they will need to establish how Katlego died, the circumstances leading to his death and whether the body was identified and how at the mortuary or even whether he was kidnapped and killed inside the prison or anywhere else.
“Once those details have been narrowed down it can then be established who is liable to being sued in this case.
“There are a lot of unanswered questions which we need to figure out before we can see who is liable for trauma and suffering or whatever the case may be” he said.
Bester had faked his death as part of an elaborate plan to escape, allegedly with the help of his celebrity girlfriend Dr Nandipha Magudumana in May last year.
Following widespread speculation surrounding his death, the pair allegedly abandoned their Hyde Park, Johannesburg, mansion and went on the run, crossing the Zimbabwean border and into Tanzania.
This resulted in a nationwide search, which ultimately led to their arrests in Arusha, Tanzania just over a week ago.
Magudumana’s father, Zolile Sekeleni, 65, and three others were also arrested on different days.
Bester appeared in Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Friday, April 14, while Magudumana made her second appearance, alongside Sekeleni and two others on Monday last week.
Bester’s case was postponed to May 16 together with Sekeleni who is currently out on R10 000 bail, while Magudumana will appear with three other accused – a former G4S employee Senohe Matsoara, G4S security guard Buti Masukela and CCTV technician Tebogo Lipholo, on May 3 and 4 at the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court.
The five are facing various charges in relation to Bester’s escape.
Cape Times