Family and friends honour the memory of Katlego Bereng

Family and friends gathered in Bloemfontein to celebrate the life of Katlego Bereng, whose body was used as a stand-in corpse during Thabo Bester’s audacious prison escape.

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Katlego Bereng remembered by family and friends

Last week, police confirmed that the body burnt in cell 35 at the Mangaung Correctional Centre on 3 May 2022 was that of 31-year-old Katlego Bereng.

Even though the mood at the memorial service was celebratory, Bereng’s aunt, Poppie Bereng, told mourners that she would never forget seeing her nephew’s remains.

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The aunt said, “We have seen his remains and it’s something I will never forget. You can only imagine, I can’t describe what I saw. But God is with us.”

“Our question is where was Katlego Bereng for a whole year after he disappeared. We don’t know where he was and what had happened to him even though we were searching all over. But God will give us the answers,” she said.

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Aunt at the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ court

Katlego Bereng’s aunt was at the Bloemfontein magistrate’s court on Wednesday where she came face-to-face with the suspects who allegedly arranged for her nephew’s body to be used as a decoy during Bester’s escape.

She added that, “When they walked up the stairs, they were smiling and blowing kisses because they have trust in their lawyers. We need to walk with confidence until Sunday when we lay him to rest. Our lawyer is God, who will protect us.”

Dozens of mourners, most wearing Bloemfontein Celtic regalia, provided an exultant atmosphere and spoke highly of Bereng.

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