The upcoming book, “The Thabo Bester Story: The Facebook r@pist, the Celebrity Doctor and the Escape from Cell 35,” is based on a gripping journalistic investigation by Marecia Damons and Daniel Steyn.
This investigation uncovered the audacious escape of the convicted Facebook r@pist and murd3rer from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in May 2022.
The investigative journalists from GroundUp News were recently honored with the 2023 Sanef Nat Nakasa Award for Media Integrity.
Their series of articles thrust the sensational Bester saga into the public eye and compelled authorities to take action.
Their inquiry presented compelling evidence suggesting that the charred body found in Bester’s prison cell did not belong to him, contradicting official statements from the Department of Correctional Services and G4S, the security company responsible for the privately-run prison.
The book, set for release on October 27, delves into the intricate details of Bester’s escape plan.
This plan involved staging his own death by placing a decoy body in his cell and setting it on fire.
Allegedly, his accomplice and girlfriend, Nandipha Magudumana, smuggled the body of Katlego Bereng into the prison with the assistance of several prison officials, who are now facing trial alongside Bester and the disgraced former doctor.
The book follows the captivating investigation, exposing how Bester managed a criminal enterprise, scamming celebrities while behind bars.
The online publication also broke the news of Bester’s first sighting in Sandton City’s Woolworths during a shopping trip with Magudumana.
The perplexing relationship between Bester and Magudumana, along with their alleged scams while living a luxurious lifestyle, is a central theme in the book.
GroundUp’s reports played a crucial role in the couple’s arrest in Tanzania in April, nearly a year after Bester’s audacious prison escape.
“The Thabo Bester Story: The Facebook r@pist, the Celebrity Doctor and the Escape from Cell 35” will be available at all major bookstores nationwide.
