Motsoaledi: Mother’s DNA proves Bester’s identity
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told Parliament on Wednesday that Thabo Bester’s identity has been proved beyond doubt.
Motsoaledi made the assurance to MP’s during his department’s budget vote.
Bester’s identity has been the source of much speculation since he was brought back to South African from Tanzania last month.
During his latest court appearance in Bloemfontein on Tuesday his new lawyer asked the court to allow Bester to physically appear in court, rather than though a video link, to allow him to establish that it is in fact Bester standing trial.
The convicted murderer and rapist escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Centre by faking his own death in May last year.
Motsoaledi told MPs that Bester’s DNA tests were done by police in April, a week after Bester was deported back to South Arica from Tanzania, and the DNA match was 99%.
“For your information, because I want you to set this matter to rest Bester's DNA matches the DNA of the mother who gave birth to him in 1986. It matches. It was not done by us, it was done by police.
“We told you that Bester, our Bester, was identified because of the mother who gave birth to him in Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in 1986.”
He added that there are numerous processes that are in place to ensure babies are registered at birth.
“We told you that and you keep singing ‘DNA DNA’. We told you the process of the late registration of birth is to get documents from hospitals where you were born, from churches if you attended them, from preschools, Sunday schools and all over and we give that document to a special tribunal in home affairs, that tribunal decides on the base of this document whether they give you a birth certificate and they register your birth late.”
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