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By Faizel Patel

Senior Digital Journalist


Thabo Bester: Pic of one of two of Dr Pashy’s passports found in Dr Nandipha’s luggage

The Citizen managed to obtain a copy of the passport found in Dr Nandipha's luggage during her arrest.


The Citizen can reveal Dr Nandipha Magudumana, the girlfriend of convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester, was found in possession of two original passports in the name of Dr Mmereka Patience Martha Ntshani during her arrest.

Passports

According to a Tanzanian source, the travel documents were found in Dr Nandipha’s luggage when they were arrested approximately 10km from the Kenyan border.

A passport belonging to Dr Mmereka Patience Martha found in Dr Nandipha's luggage.
Image of the passport found in Dr Nandipha’s luggage.

“The one passport expired in 2022 and the other passport is expiring in 2029. Both were issued to Dr Pashy. They are authentic South African issued passports.

“The passports was found in the luggage that they (Dr Nandipha and Bester) had with them in the car when they were arrested,” the source said.

Dr Pashy at police station

On Monday, The Citizen reliably learnt that Dr Mmereka Patience Martha Ntshani, also known as Dr Pashy, the woman whose identity was apparently stolen by Dr Nandipha, was at a police station in Pretoria.

Although it is unclear why Dr Pashy went to the police station, it is believed that she allegedly opened a case against Dr Nandipha for stealing her identity.

ALSO READ: Thabo Bester: Why was Dr Pashy at a Pretoria police station?

Arrest

Dr Nandipha and Bester, also dubbed the Facebook rapist, were arrested in Tanzania with several passports for multiple identities in their possession.

This was confirmed by Police Minister Bheki Cele during a press briefing in Pretoria on Saturday, when he shed more light on the couple’s dramatic arrest.

According to a highly-placed source, Bester was found with documents that identified him as Tommy William Kelly, an American citizen, while Dr Nandipha assumed the name Martha Patience Mmerika Nitshini.

Denials

On Monday, The Dr Pashy Foundation denied the organisation had received any funding from Dr Nandipha.

The foundation also added that it is seeking legal advice following reports that her identity was stolen by Dr Nandipha.

“We have learnt, with great concern of the potential stolen identity of our founder, Dr Ntshani by Dr Nandipha Magudumana,” the foundation said.

Meanwhile, a South African delegation departed for Tanzania on Monday, to secure the repatriation of Bester and Dr Nandipha.

Escape

Bester escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein in May 2022, after it was initially believed he had committed suicide by setting himself alight in his cell.

However, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), which originally declared him dead, confirmed that the charred body found in his cell was not that of Bester who was convicted in 2012.

The prison operator G4S, however, still insists that Bester did indeed die in his cell, and refuses to acknowledge any evidence to the contrary.

ALSO READ: Thabo Bester: Dr Pashy denies receiving money from Dr Nandipha Magudumana

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