Dr Phashy says Thabo Bester, Dr Nandipha Magudumana swindled her out of millions for bogus Oprah Winfrey deal

Pretoria - Dr Pashy has confirmed that she fell victim to an alleged scam operated by convicted rapist and murderer, Thabo Bester, where she paid millions to a media company linked to her friend, Dr Nandipha Magudumana.

Dr Pashy, whose real name is Dr Mmereka Ntshani, said the couple swindled her millions after Bester promised to link her with US Talk Show host, Oprah Winfrey.

She had first met Magudumana via social media in 2015 and they developed a friendship before she was introduced to Bester, who used the alias of TK Nkwana, by Magudumana.

Bester used the alias of Nkwanam who was supposedly US-based and would video call Ntshani frequently, she said. He had actually been in prison at the time.

In an interview with the SABC News, Dr Pashy said she met Magudumana through Instagram in 2015, and was immediately taken by her devotion to God and they had other similar interests.

“We just clicked and then we started sending each direct messages and then it went on WhatsApp.”

She said Magudumana then told her about a business proposition, with her international media and marketing company, which was managed by Nkwana, a South African businessman living in the US..

“He introduced himself to me as TK Nkwana, a South African businessman who was now based in the US and said he had good relations with the likes of Oprah Winfrey as he was also a part of the team that was organising her coming to South Africa for the Global Citizen concert,” she said.

The celebrity doctor said Bester promised to give her organisation Power Women, an international status.

Following multiple conversations with Bester, Dr Pashy said she signed a contract with Vibes International, which was registered in Magudumana’s name.

According to Dr Pashy, she was told she would be working with Oprah Winfrey and her long-time friend Gayle King, who would be a guest speaker at a women’s conference they were planning.

She said she trusted Magudumana and had no reason to doubt her as she was a medical doctor and had her own money.

“Being a medical doctor automatically comes with principles, you are in a principled career, a career of value and ethics.

So I didn’t think that she would sabotage me because she had a lot to lose, she had a career and her own things. I trusted that she was going to do as we had agreed,“ she said.

As part of planning the women’s conference, Dr Pashy said she sent millions to Magudumana and Bester to pay for the venue and other sundry.

According to her, when there were delays affecting the conference, she would get in touch with Magudumana and they would pray about it.

“I would go to her and we would pray about it. I would call her and we would pray about it.”

Dr Pashy said she could not reveal how much she was swindled out of citing that the matter was still under police investigation, but conceded she had lost millions of rand.

“... I laid a criminal case and we are busy with the civil case to try to recover the funds. I can confirm that yes, it was millions.”

When asked where did she send the money, she said she sent it to an account owned by Magudumana.

In April, Dr Pashy opened a case of fraud, forgery and uttering against Magudumana and Bester.

This is after Magadumana was found with two passports belonging to Dr Pashy when she was arrested in Tanzania after she fled the country with Bester.

Bester escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Centre on May 3, 2022 and was apparently aided by a number of people.,

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 20:23:51 GMTBrenda Masilela

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