Mzansi Divided Over Trending Thabo Bester Challenge

The drama never seems to end.

South Africans online are divided over the trending Thabo Bester Challenge, initiated following the fugitive’s arrest.

Thabo Bester, also known as the Facebook rapist, was recaptured Friday night in Tanzania with his girlfriend, Dr Nandipha Magudumana and Mozambican national Zakaria Alberto, who was helping them flee. The trio was nabbed some 10 km from Tanzania’s border with Kenya.

Members of the public tipped the police and a security company off, resulting in authorities identifying the vehicle Thabo Bester was travelling in. They tracked the three using CCTV and monitored them for some time before the arrest on Friday, 7 April.

Interpol, the South African Criminal Intelligence Unit and the Tanzania Police carried out the operation. A delegation from South Africa left for Arusha, Tanzania, where Bester and Dr Nandipha are caged, to finalise the issue.

The two will be deported since they entered Tanzania illegally.When Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha were arrested, the former wore a white headgear to aid conceal his face. When they were nabbed, Tanzanian police officers made him sit down and took pictures of him on the floor.

Interestingly, the pictures have attracted so much attention, and South Africans have since started a Thabo Bester Challenge. As part of the challenge, people sit on the floor, wearing white headgear and pointing towards the camera, as Thabo Bester did when he was caught in Tanzania.

Some people on social media found this comical, while others thought it was too soon to joke about the issue.

Linda::

“South Africans are special shame.”

Sello:

“South Africa is nothing without drama. Imagine if there were no people, hmm. We would suffer from boredom and end up going to Zimbabwe. Imagine 🤷🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️”

Micheal:

“No wonder overseas countries are mocking SA on a daily basis. I mean, who would wanna take us seriously?”

Oz:

“Guys, don’t test me. I will join this challenge very fast.”

Alaye:

“But why did they let him get all the way to Tanzania to pounce on him?🤔”