The mother of one of serial rapist Thabo Bester’s victims said for 10 months, she had been living in peace knowing her daughter’s attacker had been dead.
But when news of his escape broke, the vrou said she felt like the rape ordeal happened just a week ago.
Bester had reportedly died in a fire at the Mangaung Prison on May 3, 2022. However, shocking revelations revealed that the burnt body in Cell 35 was not that of Bester.
The dead person, who has not been identified yet, died due to blunt force injury.
Police have since launched a manhunt for Bester, dubbed ‘The Facebook Rapist’, who is reportedly on the run with his doctor girlfriend.
In 2011, Bester received a life sentence for the murder of a woman and the rape of two others.
His modus operandi would be to lure women on social media, offering them modelling contracts before raping them.
He was convicted of killing Nomfundo Tyhulu, a salesperson.
IOL reported that Tyhulu had sold Bester a BMW and was killed while dating him.
He had stabbed her to death at a B&B.
Meanwhile the Department of Correctional Services has been hauled before MPs to be grilled on Bester’s great escape.
Chairperson of the portfolio committee on justice and correctional services, Bulelani Magwanishe, said the department had not spoken to them about Bester and that they wanted answers as they only have media reports to go on.
The G4S multinational security company that is managing the Mangaung Prison privately said some of the warders who were implicated in the matter have since been fired.