Watch: MaMkhize Denies Visiting Thabo Bester In Jail Before He Walked Out
Shauwn Mkhize, also known as MaMkhize, has responded to social media speculation that she is associated with convicted fraudster Thabo Bester. This comes after tweets claiming that she was the “well-known celebrity” who visited Bester while he was serving his sentence at the Mangaung Correctional Centre.
Several accomplices, including Nandipha Magudumana, have been linked to Thabo Bester. However, questions have been raised about another high-profile individual Bester claims to have had close contact with. News24 investigative journalist Karyn Maughan revealed this information during an interview with Newzroom Afrika.
On Sunday, the popular Twitter account Man’s Not Barry Roux tweeted that Shauwn Mkhize had been accused of visiting Thabo Bester in jail before he was released.
https://twitter.com/AdvoBarryRoux/status/1652555998517764096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1652555998517764096%7Ctwgr%5Ed110f5a498b941bdbc9a9fa1d7a317d3e8d15289%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesouthafrican.com%2Flifestyle%2Fceleb-news%2Fbreaking-mamkhize-royal-am-thabo-bester-nandipha-magudumana-prison-watch-latest-news-30-april-2023%2F
The Twitter user offered no evidence to back up their allegations.
The tweet follows claims by investigative reporter Karyn Maughn that Bester had received visits from a “billionaire” businesswoman. The News24 reporter also claimed that Bester had the contact details of a “well-known celebrity.” However, Maughan did not mention the identity of either woman.
— Russell Tinashe (@RussellTinashe) April 30, 2023
MaMkhize was quick to respond to the allegations and set the record straight. In an Instagram Story, the CEO of Royal AM made it clear that she had no connection to the claims being made about her.
Clapping back at Maughan, MaMkhize said: “What does my name have to do with Thabo Bester? Please tell the country who is the well-known celebrity involved…does this mean I am the only well-known celebrity in South Africa?”
She later added: “Stop putting me in these things I am not involved in.”
https://twitter.com/AdvoBarryRoux/status/1652572571991244800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1652572571991244800%7Ctwgr%5Ed110f5a498b941bdbc9a9fa1d7a317d3e8d15289%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesouthafrican.com%2Flifestyle%2Fceleb-news%2Fbreaking-mamkhize-royal-am-thabo-bester-nandipha-magudumana-prison-watch-latest-news-30-april-2023%2F
Who is the celebrity who visited Thabo Bester
In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, journalist Karyn Maughan revealed that she and her team had been contacting people who had visited Thabo Bester in prison and those he had listed as contacts. This included a “very well-known celebrity” who was familiar to the public from her appearances on TV.
Maughan also stated that Bester had received prison visits from a prominent woman. In 2012, Bester was convicted of rape and murder and sentenced to life at the Magaung Correctional Centre.
According to Maughan, Bester claimed the woman who visited him was a successful billionaire. This relationship began in 2017 after he started his relationship with Nandipha.
Meanwhile, Thabo Bester had previously alluded to being abandoned by his celebrity pals in a letter he wrote from prison.
In a leaked letter published by Drum, an imprisoned Bester wrote about feeling “loneliness, rejection, and judgment”. He also reportedly asked for forgiveness from high-profile people, who include Tumisho Masha, Pearl Thusi, and Bonang Matheba.