Pretoria - The Department of Correctional Services has dismissed sentiments crediting popular podcaster MyGyver “MacG” Mukwevho for blowing the Thabo Bester scandal wide open.
Last Monday, the Podcast and Chill with MacG host and his co-host Solomzi Phenduka shared clips from an interview they did with a whistleblower in the Mangaung Correctional Centre, who exposed the fact that Bester had not committed suicide.
Bester, known as the Facebook rapist, had been sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of rape and murder in 2012.
He had only served 10 years of his sentence when he allegedly committed suicide in his prison cell by setting himself on fire.
However, the whistle-blower told the podcast that Bester had faked his death with the help of prison officials, and powerful people, who he named.
Although the whistle-blower’s interview had been scheduled to premiere on March 13, Mukwevho apologised for not posting the video on his YouTube channel as planned.
He explained that the interview exposed a lot of corruption within the prison system and involved high profile politicians, and a business mogul.
Phenduka said the March 13 episode had to be shelved because they felt they had to tread carefully, as South Africa had become a trigger-happy nation where those who expressed their views openly risked being killed.
The March 20 episode sparked curiosity on social media, with Twitter users discussing the Bester escape for an entire week.
Investigations by news agency GroundUp instantly gained an audience after detailing the Bester escape, and revealing that he had operated a media company from prison under a pseudonym.
Grassroots Activism Forum of SA spokesperson Kopano Dibakwane applauded digital media for breaking the Bester story.
“Welcome to the digital media era. Podcasting has introduced a new element of social activism, as opposed to gossip and senseless toxicity which kept the youth in a loop of ignorance.
“Podcasters such as MacG, Sol Phenduka, Penuel Mlotshwa, DJ Sbu, Ntsiki Mazwai, and others, are playing a fundamental role by using their digital
platforms to touch on burning issues that are normally swept under the carpet by the powers that be,” he said.
“For instance, MacG’s March 20 podcast unveiled the controversial Thabo Bester saga, revealing a scandal that has now kept ministers on their toes, releasing media statements in an attempt to cushion some of the pressure from the public eye.
“One is left wondering what the victims of the alleged escapee are going through after learning about his daring actions, with the alleged assistance of Correctional Services officials and high-ranking politicians,” he said.
Graf-SA said it would lobby for the government to provide avenues for unemployed youth to access recording studios where they can play their role in nation-building.
“Thanks to podcasters such as Podcast and Chill, the public is now well-informed about the shenanigans that go on behind the scenes as whistle-blowers begin to trust them.
“Community members are waking up to the fact that their camera phones put them in a position of power. They are able to expose numerous shenanigans, either from politicians or government employees, therefore enforcing a sustainable sense of accountability.
“We encourage more people to start their own digital platforms to address real issues, instead of lamenting their plight on street corners, or in pubs and shebeens,” he said.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe denied that they started searching for Bester and his accomplices after social media pressure. She declined to comment any further.
Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said it was wrong to praise social media for the investigation report the department finally released this weekend admitting that Bester had faked his death.
“That will be pure nonsense. The investigation has been ongoing and somehow parts of the report were leaked to some organisations and people. At the time, the investigation team was yet to complete its work.
“At least now the findings are out. What we see is a very strange phenomenon where some people want to position themselves as influencers.”
Police Minister Bheki Cele has announced a manhunt for Bester, said to be planning an escape from SA.
Pretoria News