My #ThaboBester encounter. To hell with it. If they silence me so be it.
I’m 2011 I posted on gumtree as a jobseeker fresh out of school looking to land some experience and get myself on the field of being an adult…

Being inexperienced I was open to any arising post. I was contacted via telephone as I had put my number out there by a “Tom Bester” aka #ThaboBester offering me a promotions job of which I accepted…..

Upon my acceptance he explained that it was an ANC event and I would be doing data capturing live and it will be a lot of work so do I have friends who can come work as well. I got two of my friends who were keen to make an extra buck to join….

His mandatory instruction was that we MUST have smart phones and laptops so that we can do the data capturing. Of which all three of us had and co firmed that so we were set. On the date of the so called event we made our way to town and met with #ThaboBester on West n Broad…

Thabo had arrived in a white Avanza and was SO PROFESSIONAL.
He further explained the sequence of events for the day and stated that we need to look the part so he has booked an appointment for us three at Miladys Mhanga to get identical and professional outfits….

To fit the even since it was of high standards and high officials would be there, dropping names to make us see how big the event is. We made our way tp Mhlanga I’m the Avanza. Throughout he was constantly on the phone doing calls…..

On arrival he stated that there is some equipment that needs to be picked up ASAP and we are winning out of time with this thing so it’s best my friends go ahead and go collect the outfits and I return with him to the office to get the equipment…..

We all saw that fit so agreed and he handed my two friends over to another gentleman who would “accompany” them. Insisting that they leave their belongings in the Avanza as they need to go be scanned because of the high profile event. We saw nothing wrong so we agreed…..

That was the last time I ever saw my friends. I left with him on knowledge that we would collect equipment and return here to get my friends then go to the event.
Once again along the way to town he was constantly on the phone and as we approached town he said there’s a crisis…

He needs to attend to so he will leave me at the office and come get me as he needs to meet with a high profiler I cannot be there. He dropped me at a dingy office in west street. It was on the 7th floor and it was not in condition that fits his job offer….

At that point I was feeling rather uneasy I’m that office all alone and locked it as I sat and waited. I also had my friends items and mine in my possession as I waited there for Thabo. A few minutes later someone was trying to open the door and kept aggressively trying to….

Open it. At that point I seriously thought I’m being trafficked. I kept quiet and moments later there was silence. Within minutes Thabo phoned me asking where I was was of which I responded I am where he dropped me then he said he’s sorted now we can continue….

I went down and indeed the Avanza was parked there. I got in and he seemed rather annoyed and was silent the whole way to the next stop. We arrived at Hilton hotel where he said the equipment was there and we will now collect it….

He then “got a call” which he attended to and then stated we are late now and he needs to quickly go scan our belongings so that we can start working soon as we arrive. Instructed me to go ahead and go wait at the lobby of Hilton for a lady (I forgot her name) who will give….

Me the equipment as she’s upstairs in a conference room and if she takes too long I can go up to the room number ### and she will hand it over.
He said he will be back within ten minutes. I still saw no red flags so I went and waited at the lobby as he said she knows I am…..

Waiting downstairs and he had also “called her” in my presence. (Fake call clearly)
I was waiting for quite some time so the hotel staff approached me asking if they can help me with anything. Of which I said no I’m fine I’m waiting for so and so I’m room ###. The staff was….

Very shocked and asked if I was sure. I insisted and he said no let’s go over to reception and see how to help you. I repeated the name and room number and the receptionist confirmed there is no such. I was refusing to believe that so it was a bit noisy to the point where….

The manager came and intervened. He also checked this info I was giving out and co formed there’s no such as Hilton room numbers go in a particular number sequence and that number does not exist. The manager asked who dropped me here and I explained and he went outside to check…

He returned to reception shocked and instantly went to run the camera from the entrance. He came back to reception and asked if I was fine of which I was and asked if anything was done to me of which, no. He asked me to tell him where I know that man from ans where is he now….

So I narrated the entire story of this job leading up to me being at this hotel reception. He requested my parents contacts and I then remembered I do not even have my phone on me let alone a single cent. I had NOTHING on me but knew my home number and have him….

He called home asking for them to come get me. What the manager shared with me was that lam was known at The Facebook Rapist and he’s a wanted man and goes around doing these things and that he is dangerous I should be thankful he did nothing to me….

Alerts had been sent out to various hotels and BnBs that Thabo had done these escapades at and he was basically “blacklisted” to be a guest there. It dawned on me that I had been scammed.
BUT WHERE ARE MY FRIENDS now that I know he’s a rapist….

While waiting for my parents to pick me up I went outside in desperate hope this is all not true and that Avanza will pull up. To my surprise the Avanza was indeed parked there so I went to it. The driver was so pissed at me and shouting at me and demanding money….

I was very confused why Thabo’s driver and to my understanding the driver or worker of this promotions company wants me to pay god driving us around. When he had calmed down he told me he has been waiting forever for me to come out as that gentleman (Thabo) had said I will…..

Pay when I come out the hotel. I narrated the entire thing to this man and he also told me he’s just a cab driver and is waiting for payment for all these trips we’ve been making. I searched the back of the Avanza for mine and my friends belongings hoping they would be there…..

Only to find a cellphone in the seat. That phone did not belong to me or the driver or my friends as I knew their cellphones. The phone was also flat but I still took it I don’t know why but I took it. With the noisy altercation that the driver and I were having…..

The hotel manager came to intervene and explain to the driver what was going on and that it was not my fault and advised him to go open a case and also advised me that I just go with ky parents and open a case. I was picked up at Hilton by my parents and went home…..

I charged that phone while I was trying all means to find ny friends or reach their families to find out if they are okay. Given the circumstances of the days events my parents refused me going out to my friends homes as they too were trying to make sense of all this…..

I still did not know where my friends were or if they were safe. When that phone was switched on it had a few saved numbers, less than 10 I recall ans a lot of u saved calls and numerous messages. There was a contacted name that was frequent so I called it using that same phone..

A woman responded on the other end and I asked her who she was. She refused to talk after hearing my voice and insisted I have a wrong number. I went off at her and told her I want my belongings from her man as I have his phone he dropped in the cab and I will trace them….

I was trying to scare them saying I will trace them cause I didn’t even know what steps that would entail. She hung up on me. I tried calling numerous times again and she was no longer picking up and eventually her line was constantly off….

I started to call that number using the home phone and she picked up. I continued where I left off with her going off at her and then #ThaboBester took over the phone and started shouting back at me and going off. Wishing a split second he would be all remorseful and….

Apologetic and ask that I forgive him he’s desperate and has no one and needs to survive. Another split second he’s laughing and telling me how stupid I am. Again he switches up and asked me to meet him in town he will give back our things and we can forget about this….

(In everything tht happened with my encounter that phone all will always ring in my mind. I can’t ever forget his voice and everything he said. He messed and tormented with my mind playing kind games. Til this day I still get a lump on my throat when I come to the phone all part)

Switching up again that if I continue calling him he will find me and kill mw I just leave him alone. Then ultimately he just started screaming and crying in the phone then hung up. 😓. That was my breaking point and I’ll mw we forget that call….

Now my highest concern was my friends whereabouts and safety so I got some male elders to accompany me to the friends houses to go find out about them and tell their parents what happened. Arriving at their home the parents rejected me….

Told me to go away and that I sold their children to my boyfriend I am an evil person and they will deal with me soon. My elders tried to calm them down and tell them what happened. They refused me entry into the homes so I sat outside while the news were being delivered….

We were still ultimately chased away and they wanted nothing to do with me. Till this day I live with that regret and guilt that I exposed my friend to that even though I also did not know. Had I just gone alone then they would have been safe….

Til this day I do not know what was done to them but I pray they have healed and found forgiveness for me and got to know that I never set them up as everyone believed I did…..

At home we called the police with this information of the cellphone and that it is in our possession it can be very useful to catch this man. The police said ok they will come collect it. Till this day I guess they are still on their way 🙄. They never came….

Days passed and no police came to collect the phone. I never heard from my friends. I had no access to them or their home. I sunk into a deep depression and guilt ate me alive. I do not even remember what eventually happened with that phone. I prob my lost it because….

I started using it since it was not collected and I had no phone until I was bought one at home. Months down the line the news broke on TV about the man dubbed The Facebook Rapist teasing police saying “catch me if you can” and I got rock bottom again…..

He was soon caught and appeared in court in Durban. As police did nothing about ku report I did not bother following up or attend the case plus I was too depressed but very happy when he was sentenced with life…..

Only to see this #ThaboBester trend last month and I legit froze and said a little prayer before opening the trend that it better just be a name coincidence….

Opening tweets to see people tweet about how he escaped made me numb. Another tweet saying he died and I was happy and left it at that and went to bed. Only to wake up to notifications that no he’s not dead he’s escaped and out there living…..

The shock literally froze me and I dropped my home. I locked myself indoors for three whole days and was experiencing anxiety attacks as though he’s outside my yard or something. It has taken me a good couple of weeks to finally be okay enough to not let it affect me..,.

Saps failed me and many other women out there that this bastard victimised, raped and killed. We are not safe I’m the hands of the saps. Not so long ago I had constant fear that Thabo and his goons will find victims who talk and finish them off….

Im still scared I won’t lie. But I will no longer let it have power over me. The fact that he’s rearrested means absolutely nothing. Those who think he’s a legend have no idea what a monster he is. Put yourself in victims shoes. Imagine your daughters and sisters in those shoes…

Then maybe you will think twice to crack joke about all of this. This man turned Hundreds of households upside down. Those of you who think it’s amusing to make it a movie and are even giving them self for roles I wonder if you would have survived the mental trauma alone…..

Stop and think twice sometimes. And as for #NandiphaMagudumana she is an evil witch who deserves deathrow along with her devil. I strongly believe it was her o spoke to I’m the phone that year having looked at their timelines….

To all his victims I hope we all find healing and one day not shed a single tear about this. To those girls who chase fancy life think twice before you get yourselves in crap coz you wanna take snaps in a Porsche. Life is far more precious than that. Some did not survive Thabo….

Kuhlekwa noma kufiwe but someone’s peeps take it too far and forget that these people affected actual human beings lives. #ForeverYena can burn in hell. I will only have faith in the law the day I see them both go 6 feet under…

But then again they could still pull some undertaker stunts on us. These two deserve each other. They were probably separated at birth just looking at how purely evil they both are