Convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester is facing allegations that he orchestrated a 30% extortion racket targeting construction tenderpreneurs from behind bars. According to correctional services commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale, Bester used associates outside prison to identify infrastructure projects and demand a cut from contractors. This scheme is commonly associated with South Africa's so-called construction mafia, which involves criminal groups demanding a share of government infrastructure contracts from service providers.
The allegations were made during an interview with journalist Mzilikazi wa Afrika on the Unpopular Opinion podcast. Thobakgale raised questions about how Bester accumulated millions while incarcerated, dismissing suggestions that he could not afford private legal representation. He alleged that Bester had associates operating outside prison who helped him generate money. Thobakgale stated that Bester would identify infrastructure projects and demand 30% from contractors.
Thobakgale also alleged that Bester was behind a case involving a suspected extortionist in a wheelchair who was demanding 30% of infrastructure contracts from tenderpreneurs. However, he claimed that the person behind the scheme was actually Bester. The allegations against Bester have raised concerns about the intersection of politics and organised crime in South Africa.
Thobakgale expressed concern about alleged links between politicians and organised crime groups, claiming that some elected officials had become part of extortion networks. He stated that councillors in Gqeberha had subjected themselves to gangsters participating in extortion schemes, and those gangsters had connections with people inside prisons.
According to Thobakgale, councillors stood to gain protection, influence, and financial gains from these relationships. He further alleged that criminal groups were increasingly positioning themselves within government business, including tender processes and the appointment of public officials. These claims echo concerns raised before the Madlanga commission of inquiry about the growing intersection between politics, organised crime, and the state.
The Madlanga commission of inquiry is investigating allegations of criminal and political interference in the criminal justice system. At the centre of these investigations are the "Big Five" cartels, suspected to have run underworld operations with the assistance of senior police officials and politicians. Acting National Intelligence Co-ordinating Committee co-ordinator Ntandazo Sifolo told the commission that the convergence of politics and the criminal underworld had become a major concern for national intelligence structures.
Sifolo stated that intelligence structures had urged crime intelligence to prioritise investigations into politically motivated killings and the murder of law enforcement officials. A National Security Council report prepared before the 2024 elections warned of growing links between political leaders and underworld figures, creating a complex, mafia-like operation within the state. This has seen the normalisation of criminal extortion at economic sites, which has spread to the transport sector.
Key points
- Thabo Bester allegedly ran a 30% extortion racket targeting construction tenderpreneurs from behind bars.
- Correctional services commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale raised concerns about alleged links between politicians and organised crime groups.
- The Madlanga commission of inquiry is investigating allegations of criminal and political interference in the criminal justice system.
