Convicted rapist and murderer, Thabo Bester, has appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court.

Bester is due back in court on May 16.

He, and his girlfriend, Dr Nandipha Maguduman were nabbed in Tanzania last week after being on the run since May 2022.

Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi says that Bester was found in the possession of an American passport when he was arrested in Tanzania last week.

Motsoaledi briefed the nation on the fugitive couple’s passports.

He says that Bester never registered with Home Affairs, therefore he never had a legal passport.

The so-called American passport was under the name Tom Williams.

Magudumana was found with her own passport as well as two others.

The minister says they have no record of Magudumana and Bester leaving South Africa through a port of entry, meaning that they fled the country illegally.