On social media, there is a gory video of the moment where Markus Jooste is said to have shot himself in the head. Users aren’t persuaded of its veracity, though. Many have even likened the shocking suicide of the former Steinhoff CEO to Thabo Bester staging his own demise.
In 2022, Bester managed to break out of his maximum security cell at the Magaung Correctional Center. This was done under the false pretense that he had committed suicide in a jail fire. Similar to Bester, Jooste was also accused of being a well-known scammer who led an ostentatious life.
The true crime documentary Tracking Thabo Bester, which is presently showing on Showmax, revisits the criminal rampage of Bester, who is currently incarcerated at the Kgosi Mampuru jail. In 2022, the Showmax docuseries Steinheist, which focused on Jooste, was also broadcast.
Marcus Jooste’s Suicide Video Goes Viral
Markus Jooste allegedly shot himself in the head on Thursday, March 21, next to his opulent vacation house in Hermanus, according to Sowetan. Shortly after coming to the Hermanus Medi-Clinic, he passed away.
The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) fined the 63-year-old R475 million just one day prior for accounting errors that were discovered at Steinhoff International between 2014 and 2017.
Jooste was generally praised as the brains behind South Africa’s largest corporate fraud case. He left in the midst of the highly publicized probe.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (the Hawks) were given the case by the FSCA for a criminal investigation, according to Mail & Guardian. Both authorities verified that Jooste had an outstanding arrest warrant in a statement on Friday.
Following news of his impending arrest, the 63-year-old apparently committed suicide.
A video allegedly showing Markus Jooste committing suicide was shared on X by Alec Hogg of Biz News. A suspected Jooste’s blood pool was visible in the video, which was shot next to some rocks on Kwaaiwater Beach.
“There is still blood visible,” Hogg stated in the video. Evidence of what occurred and where it occurred is still present, as you can see.
How Thabo Bester Staged His Death
See how the notorious criminal, formerly known as the “Facebook Rapist,” broke out of his Mangaung jail cell on May 3, 2022, in Showmax’s Tracking Thabo Bester. Bester was fulfilling three life sentences concurrently at the time. The accusations included one case of murder, two acts of rape, and an armed robbery with aggravating circumstances.
A corner cell that was partially hidden from view by a CCTV security camera was where Bester had gone to just before his escape, according to GroundUp.
Bester allegedly set fire to his cell after exchanging a dead body belonging to Bloemfontein resident Katlego Bereng for his own with the assistance of co-accused Nandipha Magudumana. Cameo film shows him being assisted with his midnight escape by a number of jail authorities.
He would pass away, according to a statement released by the Department of Correctional Services that has since drawn harsh criticism. Nandipha’s R12 million Hyde Park estate would become Bester’s home while they were apart. Nobody would realize he was here.
Following their escape from Tanzania, the couple was apprehended eleven months later. They will be on trial in the Free State Court on June 5, 2024, and are presently awaiting their pre-trial.
The two are accused, along with seven others, of fraud, corruption, aiding Bester in his jail escape, and violating many bodies.
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