South African beauty queen Mbali Dlamini, a former Miss SA finalist and reigning Miss Charm 2024, caused a stir on social media after a viral video of her in New York led some viewers to mistake her for Nandipha Magudumana, the aesthetics doctor facing criminal charges. In the video, Mbali can be seen walking the streets of New York, prompting comparisons due to her similar features to Magudumana, who is accused of aiding Thabo Bester’s 2022 prison escape.
Mbali, originally from Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, has previously been admired for her poised style and slim frame, making the resemblance uncanny. She has appealed to the public to stop linking her to the criminal allegations against Magudumana, emphasizing that she is merely a beauty pageant winner and model, not involved in any criminal activities. Fans have flooded social media with reactions, some jokingly expressing disbelief at the resemblance, while others voiced concerns about corruption and justice in South Africa.
Meanwhile, Nandipha Magudumana, Thabo Bester, and their co-accused are scheduled to stand trial for orchestrating the prison escape, defrauding the public, and violating multiple regulatory bodies. Their pre-trial hearing was recently postponed to 19 September, with the official trial set to begin on 10 November at the Bloemfontein High Court, keeping public attention on the high-profile case.
