Dr Nandipha Magudumana, who is being held in the hospital wing of the Kroonstad correctional centre in Free State, is not receiving any special treatment but is kept in that section because of the ongoing investigations.

This was revealed by correctional services national commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale during his visit to the Kgosi Mapuru correctional centre on Thursday, where Thabo Bester is being held.

He said he had earlier visited the correctional centre in Kroonstad and confirmed that Magudumana was following the same programmes as all the other offenders.

“She is eating the same food.  I had a discussion with her because that’s what we do when we visit correctional facilities. We check if offenders or remand [prisoners] have complaints and we check if their complaints are attended to,” he said.

He said she was kept in the prison's hospital section because of the ongoing investigations, that she is a high-profile offender who needed to be monitored at all times and that it was a highly secure section where she doesn’t have access or interaction with other offenders. 

“The interaction with the officials is limited to those who work in that section. We are ensuring that at all times she is watched and I want to repeat, as I have indicated with Mr Bester, it is also to make sure that she doesn’t harm herself,” he said.

He added that the section wasn’t a secluded, isolated section where she is alone but she was with other offenders.

“The hospital section in the facility is still a cell. The only difference is that the number of beds is fewer. So, she is with other offenders,” he said.

He said the correctional service was also ensuring that she doesn’t come into contact with contrabands or with any item that would jeopardise the case. He told the media that Facebook rapist and murderer, Bester, was kept in his cell which is electronically operated through the integrated security system.

“You are also in a section where we have two highly trained correctional officials here on a 24-hour/7-day basis. Obviously, we change shifts. It's just to make sure that this offender is secured and does not harm himself.”

He added that where Bester is kept was also conducive for the South African police service to come in and continue with their investigations, or for his consultations with lawyers.

“Basically, we are making the point that he is housed where he belongs and does not cause any problems as [he did] before.”

Thobakgale also clarified why Bester previously appeared in court dressed in civilian clothing and not in prison clothes. He said offenders who were going to appear in court were allowed civilian clothes. 

“It is a matter that was taken to court and there is a judgment that indicates that.”

He added that as a correctional service, their responsibility was to avail clothes that would show respect to the court. He added that the jersey that Bester had worn in his previous appearance caused concern and the department had looked into the matter and discussed it.

“Also my view is that if a person goes to court, that person should at least wear a jacket to respect the court but I am saying that offenders are allowed to wear private clothes when they go to court,” he said.

He said it was the department's duty to ensure that those are sent to them by the courts are housed in facilities that meet the security requirements.

When asked about Bester’s virtual court appearance, Thobakale said he wouldn’t comment as this has to do with security arrangements and justice department processes.

“What I can indicate is that if any offender is supposed to appear before the courts, we make it a point that they do appear — and the IT systems are a better way of doing that.

“If we are to move this offender from a correctional facility, you can imagine the type of logistics that we have to go through. We have to provide security; we have to make it a point that they are safe going and coming back from the courts,” he said.

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