HOME Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has confirmed that the department has issued an identity document to the convicted rapist and murderer, Thabo Bester, after years of him being unidentified.
Motsoaledi was briefing the media in Tshwane on Monday morning, 22 May.
He said the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) was enlisted by the law enforcement agencies to establish the identity of Bester.
He said officials of the DHA, who were part of the multi-disciplinary team that visited the Tanzania in April 2023 to facilitate the deportation of Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana, conducted an extensive investigation which included interviewing Bester's biological mum Meisie Maria Mabaso (born Bester).
He said the investigation also involved reviewing the birth records of Bester at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital and data stored in the DHA systems.
"The outcome of the investigation revealed that despite Thabo Bester having attained the age 16 years, he has not applied for an identity card as required in terms of the law.
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"As a result of the said process, Thabo Bester was issued with the identity card on 17 May 2023. His name has now been entered into National Population Register, thus ending many years of his status as an unidentifiable person," he said.
Motsoaledi said the Bester saga has brought into sharp focus the issue of other inmates incarcerated in various correctional services facilities, who are in similar position.
He said the DHA has agreed with the Department of Justice and Correctional Services to be provided with a complete list of such inmates.
"Thereafter, the DHA will take steps to ensure that such inmates are issued with identity cards. The DHA is taking these unprecedented steps because identification is at the heart of the security of the country and furthermore, a person without identification could be involved in nefarious and criminal activities undetected," he said.
The minister has announced again that his department has obtained legal advice that there are strong legal grounds to revoke the passport of Dr Magudumana and that firm action must be taken to that effect.
He said the director-general will be taking due legal process steps in terms of the South African Passports and Travel Documents Act 4 of 1994 to revoke the passport issued to Magudumana on 16 February 2017 due to expire on 15 February 2027.
Speaking of the media reports regarding the urgent application launched by Magudumana in Bloemfontein, Motsoaledi said the director-general only managed to access the court papers late on Sunday afternoon, 21 May.
The minister said they were shocked to discover that his department was not cited as a respondent in that matter, this is despite the fact on 15 May, there were exchange of correspondence between the director-general and Motloung INC, attorneys of record for Magudumana.
"The director-general immediately addressed a letter dated 21 May 2023 to her attorney raising objection to the non-joinder of the DHA, and I and demanded that the ill-advised application be removed from the urgent roll."
"The letter corrected the wrong stance adopted that Dr Nandipha Magudumana was unlawfully abducted or extradited from the United Republic of Tanzania," said Motsoaledi.
He said Magudumana and Bester were declared prohibited immigrants in terms the immigration laws of Tanzania and were therefore, as a matter of law, liable to be deported back to their country of origin.
