Dr. Nandipha Magudumana in court on Thursday. (Photo: Screenshot)
Five of Dr. Nandipha Magudumana’s co-accused were ready to proceed with their applications for bail on Thursday. However, she was not.
A make-up Magudumana briefly appeared in the dock of the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court late this morning before her legal representative asked for an adjournment.
Adv. Frans Dlamini says his client was initially ready to submit her application.
However, “crucial information” regarding her case has since come to light and Magudumana is now asking for more time for this.
However, Dlamini made it clear that his client is not waiving her right to apply for bail and that she will simply submit the application at a later stage.
The magistrate agreed and Magudumana was escorted back to the court cells.
Magudumana is now expected to apply for bail on Tuesday.
Her boyfriend, the convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester, and her father, Zolile Sekeleni, will also then appear in court again.
Sekeleni is already out on bail.
Magudumana’s co-accused’s respective bail applications are expected to be heard today and Friday. The accused include Motenyani Masukela, Teboho Lipholo, Senohe Matsoara, Tieho Makhotsa and Natassja Jansen.
Most of the accused were employees of the G4S private security company when Bester disappeared during a daring escape from the Mangaung maximum security prison in Bloemfontein about a year ago.
A burnt body was found in cell 35 in May last year, which initially led the authorities to believe that he had set himself on fire. The body has since been identified as that of Katlego Bereng Mpholo.
The charges of murder did not appear on the indictment this morning.
Rhewal last week report the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is currently not proceeding with a charge of murder against the accused in the case as state prosecutors at this early stage can only file charges based on evidence by the investigation team.
