Cape Town — Fidelity Services Group has announced a reward of U.S. $5,600 (R100,000) for information leading to the capture of convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester, according to Times Live. The offer follows the Department of Correctional Services’ decision to remove G4S, the private security firm that managed Mangaung Prison during Bester’s incarceration, after the escape was described as “embarrassing” and “the first of its kind.”
In a social‑media post, Fidelity Services Group wrote: “Help us bring this criminal to book. We are offering R100,000 to anyone who can provide us with information that leads to the successful arrest and conviction of Bester, otherwise known as the ‘Facebook rapist.’”
National Commissioner of Correctional Services Makgothi Thobakgale explained that the state’s takeover of the Mangaung facility and the removal of G4S were “necessary remedies” after the incident, which had “undermined the authority of the state.” He also confirmed that detectives from the family‑violence, child‑protection, sexual‑offences, and organised‑crime investigation units in the Free State and Gauteng provinces are working together to apprehend Bester.
Bester earned the moniker “Facebook rapist” because he used the social‑media platform to lure his victims. While in prison, he also operated a multi‑million‑rand scam, posing as the “chairman” of 21st Century Media, a fraudulent event and production company that mimicked a subsidiary of 21st Century Fox. GroundUp reported that, since his escape, Bester has allegedly been running a scam construction firm called “Arum Properties” in partnership with celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana.
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