Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘Beauty and the Bester’ chronicling the complex tale of convicted South African killer Thabo Bester and his alleged accomplice Nandipha Magudumana, we get an original unlike any other. That’s because it incorporates not only archival footage but also exclusive interviews to really shine a light upon how the duo allegedly worked together to fake his death following his jailbreak. It thus comes as no surprise that there is significant mention of Katlego Bereng (or Katlego Mpholo) too, the man allegedly used as a proxy for the infamous coinvict’s remains in early May 2022.
Katlego Bereng Went Missing Without a Trace in Early 2022
It was around 1991 when Katlego Bereng was born to Monica Matsie and Batho Mpholo, but he was primarily raised by his maternal grandmother, Alice Ralilateng, in Bloemfontein, Free State. The truth is, his parents had divorced when he was very young, so while they both navigated the split as well as its complex aftermath in terms of family bonds, he fell into the care of his grandmother. According to records, while Monica eventually remarried, Batho had relocated to Johannesburg to start anew, driving their son to learn to navigate different kinds of relationships from an early age.
Katlego’s experiences were such that he ultimately grew inspired to have a career as a first responder, so he studied to be a medical emergency personnel (paramedic). However, by the time early 2022 rolled around, he was reportedly unemployed, and his last job was as a waiter at a local establishment to make ends meet. As per his loved ones, in an interview with GroundUp, the father of two had been struggling with finding work for a while, yet he was still utterly dedicated to his kids. In fact, one of his baby mamas asserted, “he would always make an effort to support his children.”
Therefore, when football fan and kindhearted family man Katlego suddenly went quiet without any explanations or previous warnings, it worried all his loved ones. According to records, he was last seen in March 2022, but his family only reported him missing 2 months later when they realized he also hadn’t been present in his kids’ lives. This delay was because the 32-year-old reportedly had a habit of visiting relatives for long periods without letting anyone know, only to provide for his children. So, when they realized even that was missing, they knew something was wrong.
Katlego Bereng Was Found Dead in Thabo Bester’s Prison Cell
Katlego’s family was left without any answers until early 2023, when it came to light that it was his remains that had been recovered from convict Thabo Bester’s cell at Mangaung Prison. It was on May 3, 2022, when the inmate was declared dead after a massive fire broke out in his cell, only for the charred remains recovered after the blaze had settled to be beyond recognition. The Department of Correctional Services had actually announced this so-called Facebook Rapist’s passing on the very same day, asserting he had most likely died by suicide by setting himself on fire.
However, the ensuing autopsy report raised serious suspicions as it was ascertained that the cause of death was not consistent with either an accidental or a premeditated fire. Instead, it was blunt force trauma to the head, with no signs of smoke damage/inhalation to the lungs, meaning the person inside the cell had been dead long before the fire started. This led detectives to start considering the possibility of foul play, yet it wasn’t until they noticed the height of the remains was different from Thabo’s and his DNA was not a match that they realized he was not at all the convict.
In the end, DNA evidence is what enabled them to positively identify the remains as those of missing Bloemfontein resident and father of two, Katlego Bereng. His cause of death was indeed blunt force trauma to the head, yet it’s unclear precisely how that came to be. According to some reports, the 32-year-old had collapsed at the Bloemfontein City Centre before being rushed to Pelonomi Hospital, where he was sadly declared dead. Yet, as per other records, he had somehow injured himself and then died at the hospital while being treated. Neither has ever been confirmed or denied. All we know, as per the aforementioned series, is that it was allegedly Nandipha who claimed his remains from the hospital morgue in April 2022, which reportedly led him to become her boyfriend Thabo’s unwitting proxy. But alas, these details have also not been confirmed as of writing, as the related court proceedings are still ongoing.
Read More: Nandipha Magudumana: Where is Thabo Bester’s Girlfriend Now?
