Thabo Bester appeared at a Bloemfontein court on Friday, where, in true fashion to his notoriety, he introduced new twists to his intriguing prison escape case.
Thabo Bester makes shocking demands in court
On Friday, the convicted killer and sexual sadist made his first court appearance since he was arrested alongside his star-cross lover Dr Nandipha Magudumana in Arusha, Tanzania, exactly a week ago on this day.
Proceedings were expected to be brief, as state prosecutors’ agenda involved registering the charges he faces, which include his daring escape, violating a corpse and fraud, and recognising Bester’s legal defence.
However, tensions quickly rose when a visibly agitated Bester demanded to address the court.
When this request was denied, the Facebook rapist, speaking through his attorney, informed the court about his fear of being held captive by the same institution that allegedly contributed to his escape.
The 37-year-old explained he’s hardly eaten since he arrived in South Africa, due to fears of being poisoned by key figures who may want to protect themselves from exposure, and wanted his food prepared and delivered by his legal team.
Bester also demanded copies of his deportation papers, since, as far as he was concerned, he did not have a valid ID number.
Of course, hours before his appearance, Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi delivered findings of an investigation into the Facebook rapist’s background, where it was discovered that a surface-level search for ‘Thabo Bester’ in the national population registry turned up two profiles, neither of which matched the convicted killer.
The Bloemfontein court dismissed Bester’s demands and postponed proceedings to Tuesday, 16 May 2023 for further investigation. From what we understand, the convicted killer will be held at Kgosi Mampuru’s C-Max prison until then.
You can rewatch Bester’s first court appearance below:
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Bester’s appearance comes a day after his lover, Magudumana turned up at the docks next to Tebogo James Dipholo on several serious charges, including murder and multiple counts of fraud.
State prosecutors were granted their request to group the suspects into a single court appearance on Monday, 17 April 2023, where the accused will be informed of their rights to bail and whether they qualify for conditional release.
Elsewhere, on Friday, Parliament’s portfolio committee on correctional services and justice heard testimony from the Department of Home Affairs on how Bester and Magudumana managed to skip the country using falsified documents.