When Netflix dropped Beauty and the Bester last Friday, it not only reignited public interest in convicted criminal Thabo Bester but also put Nandipha Magudumana’s personal life under intense scrutiny.
The celebrity aesthetics doctor is accused of conspiring with Bester in his daring 2022 prison escape, and her husband, Mkhuseli Magudumana, has now spoken publicly to distance himself from her actions.
The Charges Against Nandipha Magudumana
Nandipha and Bester are facing serious legal trouble.
Their alleged crimes include orchestrating Bester’s escape from prison, defrauding the public, and violating multiple legal provisions.
The case is set to begin on 10 November at the Bloemfontein High Court, drawing attention from both the media and the public.
Mkhuseli Magudumana Breaks His Silence
In the Netflix documentary, Nandipha’s brother, Nkosinathi Sekeleni, discussed the fraught state of his sister’s marriage.
Despite being legally married, Nandipha allegedly carried on an affair with Bester while he was incarcerated for a 2012 rape and murder conviction.
Documents even suggest that she referred to Bester as her “customary husband.”
Mkhuseli and Nandipha married in 2013 in a lavish ceremony and share two children.
However, their family life unraveled when Nandipha last saw her children in 2023—dropping them off at school but failing to pick them up before fleeing the country with Bester.
They were later apprehended in Tanzania.
Nkosinathi shared a conversation he had with Mkhuseli in the documentary: “I called Nandipha’s husband and asked, how are you doing, how are the kids doing? How do you feel? He said he doesn’t know this Nandipha.
This is not the Nandipha he married, who is the mother of his kids.
Something that he can’t explain got hold of Nandipha. All he wishes is for the law to take its course, and at least tell his kids ‘Mommy has got questions to answer.’”
In her 2024 bail application, Nandipha confirmed that she is currently separated from her husband.
How the Relationship With Thabo Bester Began
Nandipha claims she first met Thabo Bester at Wits University in 2006, where he allegedly studied theology.
Reports indicate Bester only completed education up to grade 7, and he later moved to Cape Town.
In the documentary, a voice recording suggests Bester reached out to Nandipha in 2017 to rekindle their relationship while he was serving time for rape and murder at Mangaung Correctional Centre.
Bester has claimed he was “framed” following a failed business deal with high-ranking officials, allegedly winning Nandipha’s sympathy.
The pair reportedly developed a close relationship, with Nandipha visiting him frequently in prison.
According to reports, Bester proposed to Nandipha in 2020.
By 2022, they allegedly planned his escape from prison.
Following the escape, Nandipha is said to have hidden Bester in her Hyde Park mansion until early 2023, when media coverage of their relationship brought their actions to light.
A Family Torn Apart
The unfolding saga has left Mkhuseli Magudumana publicly disowning his wife, while Nandipha faces both legal battles and the personal consequences of her alleged decisions.
Their story, amplified by the Netflix documentary, continues to capture national attention as the trial date approaches.