Actress Simphiwe Ngema admits she visited Thabo Bester in prison

South African actress Simphiwe Ngema has revealed that she is the celebrity who visited Thabo Bester in prison. 

The former 'Muvhango' star is setting the record straight after her name was mentioned in the Bester saga. 

Journalist Karyn Maughan revealed in an interview with Newzroom Afrika last week that a "well-known celebrity" paid the convicted rapist and murderer a visit. 

“Because we have the prison records, we’ve been phoning a number of the people who visited him, and a number of the people he listed as contacts — including a very well-known celebrity, who you and I will both know. We’ve seen her on our television screens,” she said. 

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Rumours started to swirl about who the mystery celebrity could be. 

Some reports suggested that Durban businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize was involved, but she vehemently denied the gossip. 

"Why is my name being mentioned with Thabo Bester?" she asked in a video she shared on social media. Shauwn then urged Karyn Maughan to reveal the identity of the well-known celebrity involved. 

The News24 journalist took to Twitter to clarify that G4S records do not list the businesswoman as one of Thabo's visitors. 

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Simphiwe has not only confirmed that she was the woman who visited Thabo, but shared details about how she became involved with the criminal.

“Thabo Bester was working in the entertainment industry and introduced himself as TK Motsepe, and that’s how we made contact. He seemed well connected and was able to organise meetings and big events, which I and many other public figures were booked for," she wrote.

The Mzansi star added that she still has not been paid for some of the events she was booked for by 21st Century - the company Thabo set up from his prison cell.

Simphiwe said she visited Thabo in 2018. "I went to the prison to demand answers, it was a difficult time in my life and he owed me money," she said in her since-deleted statement.

Simphiwe also clarified that she did not visit Thabo regularly nor was she one of the last people to see him before his daring prison escape.

"The media should stop vilifying his victims and using us as a tool for distraction because we also want answers." 

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GroundUp was the first to break the story that Thabo escaped from his prison cell at the Mangaung Correctional Centre in May 2022. 

He was serving a 75-year prison sentence for rape, murder, and other crimes. 

Thabo faked his death, allegedly with the help of several prison officials and well-known celebrity doctor, Nandipha Magudumana.

A post-mortem revealed that the burnt body found in his cell belonged to someone else. 

Thabo has since been re-arrested along with Nandipha. 

ALSO READ:  Burnt body in Thabo Bester's Mangaung prison cell identified

Main image credit: Instagram/@simzngema