Cape Town - The traumatised family of Katlego Mpholo, the man whose burnt body was found in Thabo Bester’s cell, have finally identified his charred remains.
Emotional and heartbreaking scenes played out as his family members cried, with some needing medical attention, after they saw Mpholo’s body on Wednesday.
After previously being turned back while investigations were ongoing, Mpholo’s family finally saw his remains in the Free State forensic pathology centre for the first time after he went missing in March last year.
After the viewing, the 32-year-old’s mother was taken to hospital by ambulance during uncontrollable crying.
Mpholo’s uncle, Thapelo Baranye, said the identification of his body was difficult for the whole family.
“The family did identify him and confirmed that it was really him even though it was difficult. There was a lot of pre-counselling before we saw him.
“We are going to meet as a family and try to find a way forward.
“The mother cried immediately when she stepped inside the place.
“It was very very sad.
“Emotions were high and we do believe that we have been failed. It’s a difficult situation to process,” said Baranye.
The body of Mpholo, a father of two young children, was used as a decoy for convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester, who faked his death and escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Centre.
For close to a year, Bester lived a lavish life, allegedly with the help of his celebrity girlfriend Dr Nandipha Magudumana, who is believed to have plotted and aided his prison break.
Mpholo’s father, Batho thanked South Africans for their support and asked that the family be given time to process and grieve.
“This has been a really draining journey and we need some time to regroup and deal with all the matters at hand.”
Cape Times