Local actress Simphiwe Ngema explained why she visited notorious criminal Thabo Bester in prison, in a since-deleted statement on social media.
Ngema’s statement comes after News24 journalist Karyn Maughan revealed that a celebrity’s name popped in the prison’s records of Bester’s visitors.
“What’s been fascinating is, because we have the prison records, we have been phoning a number of people who visited him and a number of people he listed as contacts including a very well-known celebrity who you and I will both know, we’ve seen her on the TV screen,” said Maughan during a television interview.
“And what is fascinating to me is that he seems to have done this thing where he said my name is Tom Motsepe and I am a relative of the Motsepe family but I am in prison under a fake name because my family… you know… it is a whole political thing, people can’t know who I am,” said Maughan.
WHAAAAT!!!?😳😳
Who is the very well-known celebrity that has been in contact with Thabo Bester while he was behind bars?🤔
News24's Investigative Journalist Karyn Maughan puts the story in perspective:
Gcinile Arrest #podcastandchillwithmacg Zwai Shona Grootman #TheBalaFamily pic.twitter.com/zNo4HRe5z0
Twitter account Advo Barry Roux tweeted that Ngema’s name had appeared on prison records, which triggered speculation as to why she visited him.
According to Mangaung Correctional Facility records Thabo Bester was booked at Mangaung Prison as Thabo Bester. Simphiwe Ngema was owed money by TK Motsepe. There was no TK Motsepe at Mangaung. Who was Simphiwe Ngema really visiting? #DrNandipha #ThaboBester pic.twitter.com/tYVIpXnkYx
— Man’s NOT Barry Roux (@AdvoBarryRoux) May 3, 2023
Ngema, in her statement, admitted to having visited Bester in 2018, in prison. They made contact after he introduced himself to her and others as TK Motsepe, who worked in the entertainment industry.
Ngema visited him in prison to demand answers as she was owed money by Bester. She denied being the person who visited him regularly or being the last person to see him before his brazen escape.
“He seemed well connected and was able to organise meetings and big events which I and many other public figures were booked for. Till this day I was never paid for some of the events that I was booked for by 21st century,” read the statement.
Simz Ngema with a statement on the Thabo Bester saga , she is one of the people who visited TK in jail pic.twitter.com/mzfSGsCd1e