---
title: "Thabo Bester saga — three more G4S prison officials in court for aiding and abetting escape"
description: "All 12 suspects are expected back in court in August for start of the main criminal trial."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "GROUNDUP"
author: "Daniel Steyn and Becker Semela"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/daniel-steyn-and-becker-semela/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-06-28-thabo-bester-saga-three-more-g4s-prison-officials-in-court-for-aiding-and-abetting-escape/"
published: "2023-06-28T15:39:53"
updated: "2023-06-28T15:40:44"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 340
---

# Thabo Bester saga — three more G4S prison officials in court for aiding and abetting escape

> All  12 suspects are expected back in court in August for start of the main criminal trial.

By Daniel Steyn and Becker Semela · Published 28 June 2023, 17:39 SAST · Updated 28 June 2023, 17:40 SAST

## Key points
- 11 suspects now stand accused of assisting inmate Thabo Bester in his daring escape from a G4S-run prison, with three more G4S officials added to the mix this week.
- Three more G4S prison officials made a brief appearance in Bloemfontein Magistrates Court.
- They are charged with aiding Thabo Bester's escape and face 16 charges in total.
- Two of the accused have been released on bail while the others remain in custody.
- R150,000 is alleged to have exchanged hands between Bester, Magudumana and some of the prison officials.

## Content

Three more G4S prison officials made a brief appearance in the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court on Tuesday after their arrest earlier this week. This brings the number of people on trial for Thabo Bester’s escape to 12.

The three new accused are due back in court on 3 July for the state to decide whether or not it will oppose bail.

The three men have been added to the main prison escape matter. They will join Bester, Nandipha Magudumana, and seven others co-accused for the start of the criminal trial on 8 August.

Thabang Mier faces a charge of aiding an inmate’s escape, while Joel Makhetha and Moeketsi Ramolula face charges related to the violation of a body, aiding an inmate’s escape, and corruption. All three were suspended by G4S earlier this year. Mier was a supervision officer and Ramolula was a custody officer at the prison.

Mier was represented by Advocate Themba Diba, who is also representing Zolile Sekeleni, Nandipha Magudumana’s father. Makhetha is represented by attorney Tshope Thusi and Ramolula is represented by Sthembile Mbuthu from Legal Aid.

Outside court, one of Mier’s relatives told *GroundUp* that the family was devastated. The relative said Mier’s mother was hospitalised after the shocking news of his arrest.

On [20 June](https://www.groundup.org.za/article/thabo-bester-saga-case-postponed-again-for-further-investigation/), the escape trial was postponed to August to allow police to conduct further investigation. The eleven suspects face a total of 16 charges. Two of the accused — Nastassja Jansen and Zolile Sekeleni — have been released on bail while the others remain in custody. Magudumana and Bester did not formally apply for bail.

Bester escaped from Mangaung Correctional Centre, a private prison run by G4S, by allegedly faking his own death in a fire in his cell. The state maintains that the prison officials who have been arrested all played a crucial role in aiding his escape. At least R150,000 exchanged hands between Bester, Magudumana and some of the prison officials in the days before and after the escape, according to the state. **DM**

*First published by*[*GroundUp*](https://www.groundup.org.za/article/three-more-g4s-prison-officials-in-court-for-aiding-thabo-besters-escape/)*.*

![Image](https://thirdpartyhits.groundup.org.za/counter/hit/dailymaverick/2023-06-28-three-more-g4s-prison-officials-in-court-for-aiding-thabo-besters-escape/)