Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing absolutely nobody can deny, it’s that the tale of convicted Thabo “Thomas” Bester and his girlfriend Nandipha Sekeleni Magudumana is one of the baffling in recent history. After all, as explored in Netflix’s ‘Beauty and the Bester,’ while the former is an infamous conman, rapist, and killer, the latter was once a renowned celebrity doctor with a family of her own. Nandipha was a beloved daughter, a caring wife, as well as a devoted mother, yet everything reportedly changed once she became involved with the convicted felon, allegedly in more ways than one, in 2017.
Nandipha Magudumana’s Parents Still Support Their Daughter
It was on September 15, 1989, in Bizana in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, when Nandipha Sekeleni Magudumana was born to Zolile Cornelius Sekeleni and his wife as one of their three children. However, she was primarily raised in Port Edward, KwaZulu-Natal, where she was surrounded by affection, care, and support at every step of the way, giving her the courage to always follow her passions. At one point, this passion included cooking alongside her mother, but following a health issue the former endured when the little girl was merely 6 years old, it evolved into medicine.
“My mother was in hospital for a while, and I never understood the complexity of her condition at the time, and when I was around doctors, I felt empowered, confident, and fearless,” Nandipha once said. Therefore, she dedicated all her time to pursuing a career in the same field, which her parents wholly backed while also providing for the family, with Zolile serving as an educator. According to reports, he kickstarted his teaching career in 1996 in the Eastern Cape, only to be promoted to Senior Education Specialist after nearly 8 years in 2008. He thus taught young children, planned curricula, assessed school conditions, and handled matters of discipline before ultimately retiring in 2014.
However, instead of choosing to lead a quiet life alongside his loving wife and near his now three adult children, Zolile chose to shift gears and evolve into a Port Edward-based entrepreneur. As per reports, he helmed a string of business ventures under administrative or operations positions before he suddenly found himself facing criminal charges related to Thabo Bester’s 2022 jailbreak. He was arrested at his home in early 2023 on suspicion that he drove a body to the prison Thabo Bester was incarcerated in, which then served as a proxy following his escape. He eventually made bail, but the 65-year-old is now awaiting trial while residing in Johannesburg alongside his loving wife. We should mention that, despite the legal issues and Nandipha’s involvement with Thabo, the couple still seems dedicated to her.
Nandipha Magudumana’s Husband Has Sole Custody of Their Daughters
While it’s unclear precisely when Nandipha first came across Mkhuseli Magudumana, we do know they tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in 2013 after starting their respective careers as doctors. The couple reportedly settled down in a beautiful home in the heart of Johannesburg, where they eventually welcomed two adorable daughters into their lives, Ayana and Aziza. According to records, they lived a life of familiality, happiness, and luxury for a few years, considering the success of each medical professional, only for things to change in 2017. That’s when Nandipha not only launched her private beauty treatment business, Optimum Medical Aesthetics Solutions, but also allegedly became romantically involved with Thabo Bester. He was already serving life in prison for rape and murder when their romance began.
In fact, by the time 2022 rolled around, Nandipha was claiming to be Thabo’s common-law wife despite still legally being married to Mkhuseli and caring for their daughters. It was reportedly then that the couple separated for good, only for the medical entrepreneur to soon go on the lam with her boyfriend/jailbreak convict Thabo until their eventual April 2023 arrest. They are now facing several criminal charges, including conspiracy, corruption, fraud, violation of a corpse, and many more, for which they are awaiting trial.
According to records, ever since Nandipha’s arrest and denial of bail, neither Mkhuseli nor her minor daughters have come to see her in jail, indicating they have severed all contact. It’s also imperative to note that while one of their mutual friends has since declared on X that the couple divorced in 2022, the Department of Home Affairs database shows they are still registered as married. Nevertheless, today, with sole custody of Ayana and Aziza, it appears as if Mkhuseli prefers to lead a quiet life well away from the limelight. He has never once publicly spoken about his relationship with Nandipha or about her alleged criminal activities, so it seems as if his only priority now is to care for his little ones while running his private pediatrics practice, Dr M O Magudumana.
Read More: Nandipha Magudumana’s Net Worth: How Rich is the Ex-Celebrity Doctor?
