Magudumana lawyers to 'study' SCA extradition ruling

The SCA in Bloemfontein on Friday dismissed her bid to have her 2023 arrest and return to South Africa declared unlawful.

Magudumana, who is accused of aiding convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester in his dramatic escape from Mangaung Correctional Centre in 2022, was captured with Bester in Arusha, Tanzania, in April 2023.

The pair had been on the run before they were extradited and brought back to South Africa.

On Friday, the SCA upheld the Free State High Court’s 2023 ruling that found her arrest was lawful.

The majority of the SCA bench dismissed her appeal, though the court did note a dissenting judgment that supported her argument.

Magudumana’s lawyer, Machini Motloung, responded to the ruling by saying that they are disappointed but remain determined.

"No, really, we are dismissed, we should be dismayed, you know, naturally – but disappointed? I don’t think so. I think we still remain resolute and we still have faith in our case."

He added that the legal team would need time to analyse both the majority and dissenting judgments to fully understand the court’s reasoning and map the way forward.

"We have yet to receive the judgment. We’ll have to study it, get to understand how the court arrived at the conclusion that it did and then do a mapping exercise in terms of the way forward."

Magudumana and several co-accused face 38 charges, including fraud, corruption, money laundering, aiding and abetting an escape, arson, violating a corpse, and defeating the ends of justice.

The charges relate to the elaborate prison break that led to Bester’s escape and their subsequent flight across borders.

The trial is scheduled to begin on 21 July in the Free State High Court.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the SCA decision, calling it essential to ensure accountability and uphold the rule of law.

 ALSO READ