After five months behind bars, the disgraced Dr Nandipha Magudumana’s bail application was rejected by the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court today.Handing down her judgement, Magistrate Estelle de Lange said Dr Nandipha was a definite flight risk.
CAN’T BE TRUSTED
The magistrate explained that although Dr Nandipha’s passport was confiscated by the police, she is still a flight risk because she has crossed several borders with her convicted lover Thabo Bester with no evidence of it ever being stamped. "No bail condition will guarantee that the accused will stand trial as she was previously able to leave South Africa and cross three borders without a passport," she said. De Lange added that Magudumana will easily intimidate her co-accused in the matter, as they have strong relationships. "Apart from saying she was kidnapped by Bester, there is nothing she brought forward to support that. The state, on the other hand, brought evidence to the contrary," De Lange said. "She added that she was of the opinion that bail conditions will not be enough to make her stand her trial.
SHE MIGHT HELP BESTER ESCAPE AGAIN
The magistrate went on to say if released, Dr Nandipha will have more means to help Bester escape. "If she is released, she could facilitate another escape if she wants to," said De Lange. She elected not to disclose the details of her alleged kidnapping by Bester. There should be no reason why she doesn’t want to disclose this information to the court. Magudumana had the duty to show the court why her release is in the interests of justice and that she’s not a flight risk," she added. Magudumana allegedly provided an address of the property she had already vacated.
YOU NEVER CARED
De Lange said although Dr Nandipha claimed she left the country involuntarily, she left her children, business and family behind. "When she left the country she knew she wouldn’t come back. The evidence points that she left the country voluntarily. I find she is definitely a flight risk and there are no bail conditions to limit this risk. She didn’t satisfy the court that she should be released. Therefore the bail application has been denied." The interests of justice don’t permit one’s release if one of these grounds is established; likelihood that their release will endanger society, whether they will evade their trial, whether they will intimidate witnesses, or they will undermine functioning of criminal justice system, or whether their release will disturb public order,"
CHARGES
Magudumana and her co-accused are facing charges of assisting an inmate to escape from lawful custody, violation of a dead body and defeating the ends of justice. The other accused in the matter include former G4S prison warder Senohe Matsoara, Zanda Moyo, Zolile Cornelius Sekeleni, former Integritron Integrated Solutions camera technician Teboho Lipholo, suspended G4S employee Tieho Frans Makhotsa, former G4S guard Buti Masukela, suspended G4S employee Natassja Jansen and G4S employees, Joel Makhetha, Moeketsi Ramolula and Thabang Mier, who were all granted bail. Magudumana and her co-accused including Thabo Bester and her father will be back in court of the 11th of October.
