Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald told the media on Thursday that the report detailing the May 2022 escape of Thabo Bester was "embarrassing" and that the international security company G4S, which runs the privately owned Mangaung Correctional Centre, was responsible for the incident.
Dubbed the "Facebook rapist," Bester lured women through social media platforms by promising them lucrative modeling contracts, only to rape and kill his victims. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Monday’s report from the prosecutor found that two department officials engaged in improper conduct by delaying the reporting of the escape.
It said that in 2022, prison authorities reported that Bester had committed suicide in his cell by setting himself ablaze. An autopsy later revealed that the body, burned beyond recognition, did not belong to Bester but rather to a person who was already dead when the fire broke out.
Bester allegedly walked out of the maximum-security prison disguised as a guard, reportedly with the help of prison officials.
The prison did not report Bester’s escape after it was informed of the autopsy results. Officials only reported it in the spring of 2023 after reporters spotted Bester and his girlfriend shopping.
The two fled to Tanzania but were later arrested and deported to South Africa. Their trial is scheduled for February 2025.
Eight people have been charged for aiding Bester’s escape.