In her most recent court appearance, Dr Nandipha Magudumana looked nothing like the woman South Africa once knew.
Once styled in designer heels and walking with confidence, she now looks worn out, hollow-eyed, visibly thinner and almost unrecognisable.
Her gaunt figure, drawn face and lifeless eyes left social media users stunned.
“Nandipha looks like a shadow,” a user on X wrote, while another bluntly added: “Nothing ages you faster than stress.”
Meanwhile, Thabo Bester, the convicted killer and fraudster with whom Magudumana allegedly orchestrated a dramatic prison escape, sat in the same courtroom appearing well-groomed and composed.
That difference between the visibly broken woman and a calm Bester has ignited conversations far beyond just this high-profile court case.
It’s now become a mirror of how society views mental strength, gender…