South Africa spent Sh175 million on chartered flight to extradite Thabo Bester

The South African government spent Sh 175 million (R1.4 million) on a chartered flight from Tanzania to South Africa in the process of extraditing convicted Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana who were arrested in Arusha on April 7, it has been revealed.

South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told the Portfolio Committee in Home Affairs that they had to charter a flight to bring back Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana because the force does not have an aircraft.

He said they had to put a team from immigration to work with the South African embassy in Tanzania for the deportation.

He said at that price that was the cheapest option available and that they then had to hire minibuses and drive 600km from Dar es Salaam to Arusha, and back.

Motsoaledi the decision was reached after the Tanzanians officials directed that Bester and Magudumana had to be handed over to immigration officials.

He said the Department of Home Affairs doesn’t have its own plane, the 14 officials necessary for the operation would have to fly commercially.

“We asked any company that could give us an airplane that can carry 14 people, which will be able to get landing rights and all documentation on their own without the help from the state in less than 24 hours because as you know South Africans were eager to know whether this deportation is taking place, and there are companies who responded. The last one was the cheapest at R1.4m. It was the cheapest of them all and we opted for that. We never asked  anybody that we want a luxury flight as everybody is saying,” said Motsoaledi..

In another development, Dr Nandipha Magudumana on Monday, April 18, finally revealed her face to the judge after days of covering  under a hoodie.

Wearing a powder blue hoodie she obliged.