The prison escape trials of convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester and eight others will start on 19 February 2025.
Bester, his partner Nandipha Magudumana and the other seven accused face charges including fraud, corruption, violating a body, and harbouring and concealing an escaped convict.
The convicted rapist and murderer escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Centre after faking his death in a fire in his prison cell in May 2022. He was on the run for almost a year before being caught in Arusha, Tanzania, on 8 April 2023.
Bester complained in the Bloemfontein High Court on Wednesday about the cruel living conditions at Kgosi Mampuru C-Max prison.
He told the court that he is kept in isolation for up to 23 hours a day, which is affecting his mental health and ability to prepare for his defence.
“The system that has been set up for me specifically is as if I have my own separate rooms,” said Bester.
“I am not only fighting for my right to a fair trial but for the basic human dignity that every detainee is entitled to.”
However, the correctional services department denies Bester’s claims.
Compiled by Staff Writer
Pictured above: Thabo Bester at the dock in the Bloemfontein High Court on Wednesday.
Source: X
