Couple Accused of Killing Wife’s Ex-lover to Fake Husband’s Death Raise Eyebrows: “Bester Taught Them Well”

• A Soshanguve couple has been making waves with their Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha-esque crimes
• The couple is accused of killing the wife's ex-boyfriend and using the body to fake the husband's death
• The duo face charges of premeditated murder, defeating the ends of justice and fraud in the Soshanguve Magistrate's Court

PRETORIA - A Soshanguve couple has joined the ranks of SA's criminal couple, Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana.

Lerato Mahlangu and Sibusiso Mahlangu appeared in the Shoshanguve Magistrate's Court on Thursday, 4 May, to face charges related to killing Lerato's ex-lover in an attempt to fake Sibusiso's death.

While the couple's crimes predate Thabo Bester's escape from jail, they are eerily similar to how Bester faked his death.

Read also

Thabo Bester escape: NPA drops murder charge against Dr Nandipha and convicted killer Thabo Bester

Shoshanguve couple murder wife's ex-boyfriend and burn body

According to National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, the couple allegedly killed the man and burnt his corpse in their house in January 2022.

Lerato obtained a fraudulent death certificate from the Department of Home Affairs, claiming Sibusiso died in the fire. The woman also cashed in on her husband's life policies, TimesLIVE reported.

"Deceased" man caught driving stolen car in Tshwane

In April 2023, Sibusiso was arrested after being caught driving a stolen car in Hammanskraal. The man was taken to the police station for processing, only for the officer to discover that he was registered as deceased.

Police scrambled to figure out who had been buried in Sibusiso's place and uncovered that it was Lerato's ex-boyfriend and baby daddy, Sibusiso Sithebe.

Read also

Thabo Bester: 2 Dismissed G4S employees arrested for Mangaung prison escape

32-Year-old Sithebe was reported missing on 1 January 2022, the same day Sibuso was thought to have died in the house fire, News24 reported.

Soshanguve couple face charges of murder, fraud and defeating ends of justice

The couple has been charged with premeditated murder, defeating the ends of justice and fraud, while Sibusiso faces an additional charge of possession of a stolen vehicle.

The pair will return to the Soshanguve Magistrate's Court for a formal application for the murder charge on 18 May.

South Africans compare Soshanguve couple to Dr Nandipha and Thabo Bester

Below are some comments:

Puleng Seitshiro said:

"Dr Magudumana and Bester taught them well."

Mpho Elisabeth Mabitsela added:

"We've got a lot of Thabo Besters here in our country."

Oswell OJ Jeranyama commented:

"Seems Thabo Bester's 'business model' was widely used while society was fast asleep."

Tebza Makay claimed:

"Sad how these Besters are glorified on the ground."

Read also

Limpopo woman arrested for fatally stabbing boyfriend during fight, Mzansi fed up: “SA needs serious prayers”

Mondli Mcanyana stated:

"Rosemary Ndlovu, Thabo Bester and this couple... We can have a criminal reality show here in Mzansi like other countries."

Alfred Akanyang asked:

"People don't mind messing up their lives. What are they actually standing to benefit?"

NPA drops murder charge against Dr Nandipha and convicted killer Thabo Bester

In another story, Briefly News reported that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has let Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana off the hook for murder.

This was revealed before Magudumana and her co-accused, Senohe Matsoara and Tebogo Lipholo, when they appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court for a bail application on Wednesday, 3 May.

According to News24, there is no murder charge against any of the accused on the charge sheet in the Thabo Bester escape case.

Source: Briefly News