In a decisive move to restore public confidence, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has officially transferred convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester to the eBongweni Super Maximum Correctional Centre in Kokstad.
Known as the most secure facility in South Africa, eBongweni—or “C-Max”—is designed for the country’s most high-risk inmates, utilizing total isolation and 24-hour surveillance to prevent any possibility of system manipulation.
The Midnight Move
The relocation was executed under a veil of secrecy on Friday, January 30, 2026. Prison authorities confirmed the move was triggered by a fresh security risk assessment. Bester’s legal team was reportedly not notified in advance, only discovering the transfer when a visitor was turned away from his former facility.
Why eBongweni?
Authorities are taking no chances following Bester’s audacious 2022 escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre, where he faked his own death using a smuggled corpse. After a high-profile international manhunt ending in Arusha, Tanzania, the “Facebook Rapist” has remained a significant security concern.
At eBongweni, Bester joins an elite tier of high-profile inmates, including:
- Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala: Alleged crime kingpin.
- Radovan Krejčíř: Convicted Czech fugitive (historically held there).
DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo assured the public that while security is at an all-time high, Bester’s rights to legal representation and family communication remain intact according to constitutional mandates.
