Plane used for Bester, Magudumana deportation cost R1.4m
It cost the State R1.4 million to bring back Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana from Tanzania on a chartered flight.
Minister Aaron Motsoaledi revealed the amount to Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs committee on Tuesday.
READ: Magudumana, two co-accused to remain behind bars
Bester, who escaped from a Mangaung prison last year by faking his own death, was arrested along with Magudumana in Arusha earlier this month.
Motsoaledi also explained why the plane was chartered by Home Affairs and not the South African Police Service.
"The Tanzanians said they decided that, taking all the details about Thabo and Nandipha, they have opted for deportation and not extradition or any other system. "
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"When a person is deported to their country of origin, they are handed only to immigration officials in that country not any other authority - strictly the immigration officials via the ambassador of that country and the Tanzanians said they are not prepared to hand over Thabo to police."
