Dr Nandipha Magudumana's application to declare her arrest in Tanzania unlawful has been postponed by the Bloemfontein High Court. Magudumana was arrested and deported with her notorious lover Thabo Bester last month. The doctor is accused of aiding Bester in his brazen escape from the Mangaung Correctional Facility in May last year - where he was serving life.

POSTPONEMENT

Magudumuna's defence indicated that the respondents in the application want to oppose the application and that Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaaron Motsoaledi will join in as a sixth respondent since the department was initially excluded. Earlier this week the minister said he found it 'sinister' that the department was not cited as respondent and that they would make an application to join proceedings The defence told Judge Phillip Loubser that an agreement was reached and that the respondents require time to file papers opposing the application and that the matter can be heard next week Thursday. Proceedings were postponed to the 1 June 2023 to allow respondents to file opposing papers to the application. 

DR NANDIPHA WANTS TO BE FREED 

Magudumana wants to be removed and discharged from Bester's matter. She wants to declare the apprehension, arrest and abduction in Tanzania on 7 April and the transportation to the republic and purported arrest and detention, be declared wrongful and unlawful. She also wants to declare the arraignment before the current magistrate in the criminal case nullified and set aside. She also wants to be discharged from detention and direct the head of the Department of Correctional Services, Buza Makhado to immediately discharge her from any further detention.

CHARGES

Magudumana, her father Xolile Sekeleni and five G4S guards were arrested for their involvement in aiding Bester's escape in May 2022. They face multiple charges of fraud and corruption, as well as violating a corpse, harbouring and concealing an escaped offender and defeating the ends of justice. Sekeleni was granted R10 000 bail. A judgment on the other accused bail application will be handed down on Monday by the Bloemfontein Magistrates' Court.