By Bongiwe Zwane-Maseko
Members of Parliament (MPs) on Tuesday called on authorities to urgently test the DNA of serial rapist and murderer Thabo Bester to confirm that Maria Mabaso is, indeed, his biological mother.
According to Eyewitness News, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi briefed members of the portfolio committee on matters related to Bester’s identity and return to South Africa last week. Motsoaledi told the committee that while a sample of Bester’s DNA was taken ahead of his rape and murder trial in 2011, it was never tested.
The minister further confirmed that for his entire life, Thabo Bester had completely evaded any form of identity registration. Bester has no identity number and has never been issued a passport.
Read More: Minister defends Thabo Bester’s E1.4 million flight bill
The Democratic Alliance’s Adrian Roos said authorities should insist that Bester’s identity be verified through DNA testing.
“There seems to be some form of special treatment here because there’s this circumstantial evidence and that circumstantial evidence, then we will just take their word for it. Somebody who has already swapped themselves for somebody else.”
Read More: ID-less Bester was born in Soweto but his teen mom never registered his birth
Roos was backed by members of the African National Congress and the Inkatha Freedom Party. In response, Motsoaledi said because Bester admitted guilt during his rape trial, his DNA sample was never tested.
“Police were waiting for Bester to arrive and get the DNA from him and complete their investigations. So Home Affairs doesn’t have to go in and do that.”
Motsoaledi said a death certificate for the body found in his cell, can’t be issued until that person’s identity was confirmed.
