Showmax has confirmed that the case where Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magaduma are trying to stop the airing of the “Tracking Thabo Bester” documentary will be heard in Johannesburg High Court today, March 15. Bester escaped from prison in 2022 by faking his own death with the assistance of his girlfriend Nandipha Magaduma. The latter is facing charges of aiding and abetting the escape.
Bester and Magaduma claim that the documentary, scheduled to premiere tomorrow on Showmax, encroaches on their rights. However, Showmax states that giving in to the co-accused’s demands would be encroaching on South Africans’ constitutional rights to access information.
“The allegations against the [accused] are incredibly serious and Showmax strongly believes it is essential for viewers to watch the documentary and form their own informed opinions,” Showmax said in a statement.
The four-part documentary follows the story of Bester who was serving a life sentence for murder and a series of rapes—a sentence passed in 2012. Bester lured women by promising them international modelling gigs via Facebook, after which he robbed and raped them at knifepoint.
In May 2022, prison authorities reported that Bester had died in his cell from injuries relating to a fire which erupted in his cell. A charred body was found in the cell, which was later found to not be that of Bester. Bester was subsequently found to be alive following an investigation by Groundup and was arrested in Tanzania in April 2023 following a manhunt. Magudana, who is said to have sourced the body burnt in Bester’s cell during his escape, was arrested with him and has been in custody since.