The recent death of Thabo Bester, also known as the “Facebook rapist,” has caused a stir on social media. Bester, who was convicted of raping and robbing young women he lured on Facebook, reportedly died in prison due to a fire in his cell at Mangaung Correctional Center in May 2022. However, questions have arisen regarding the identity of the body claimed by his alleged customary wife, Dr Nandi, a prominent aesthetic doctor.
Dr Nandi, whose real name is Nandipha Sekeleni Magudumana, has been linked to Bester through her brother, Nkosinathi Sekeleni. Nkosinathi publicly accused Dr Nandi of cheating on her husband with Bester and claimed that she had claimed Bester’s body from the mortuary after the fire. He further described his sister as “very evil” and a “shame to the Sekeleni clan.”
Dr Nandi is a well-known cosmetic surgeon who runs a company called Optimum Medical Aesthetic Solutions. She has a substantial following on social media, with over 124,000 Instagram followers, and was named one of the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans in 2018. Her alleged involvement in the Bester case has caused her to be the subject of public scrutiny and criticism.
The controversy surrounding Bester’s death has been further fueled by reports that a man who resembles Bester was seen at Sandton City Woolworths shopping, two months after his alleged death. The man in question was reportedly accompanied by a child who bears a striking resemblance to Dr Nandi’s daughter, as seen on her Instagram page.
The South African Police Service and the Department of Correctional Services have yet to release an official statement regarding the case, leaving many unanswered questions. However, the allegations linking Dr Nandi to Bester have raised concerns regarding the doctor’s ethical practices and have resulted in a public backlash.
