By Ntombi Mhlongo
The deportation of convicted Facebook rapist Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana cost the South African government E1.4 million. Interestingly, SA Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has defended the costs.
On Tuesday, News24 reported that Motsoaledi told the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs that they had to charter a flight to bring the pair back at the cost of E1.4 million.
“You can fly from here to Dar es Salaam and other places and pay E6 000. Which commercial flight do you think would have accepted [Bester]… and then passengers seated comfortably seeing two people in handcuffs entering an aircraft with several people to make sure they don’t run away”, the minister was quoted as having said.
Read More: Thabo Bester, Dr Nandipha arrive in SA under heavy police guard
According to News24, Motsoaledi was adamant that the state agencies involved in bringing Bester back to the country had made the right choice.
“I don’t think any aircraft company would have allowed that situation. I don’t remember where thugs of this nature flew around the world on commercial [passenger] flights. We have never deported anybody on a commercial flight.”
Motsoaledi reportedly joked that had Bester been brought back on a commercial flight, he would have made the headlines.
Read More: ID-less Bester was born in Soweto but his teen mom never registered his birth
“If we did that, you Members of Parliament would be tearing me apart for being careless. We took the cheapest flight. This was the best option than going with a commercial flight,” he said.
Bester appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Friday for the first time since he was recaptured after his escape last year, and he will be back in court on May 16.
Dr Magudumana, who was Bester’s accomplice, also appeared in court for her alleged role in helping him escape from prison. Magudumana’s father Zolile Sekeleni was granted E10 000 bail in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court.
