MultiChoice Celebrates Victory With Premiere of ‘Tracking Thabo Bester’ Documentary, Mzansi Divided
- MultiChoice celebrated its victory after the ‘Tracking Thabo Bester’ documentary was given the green light to be aired on Friday afternoon
- The fascinating documentary shed light on the allegations against Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana
- Mzansi viewers were captivated and had numerous questions as they streamed the first two episodes exclusively on Showmax
Trisha Pillay is a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg. Beginning her 13-year-long career at eNCA, she honed her reporting skills and coverage of crime and court cases, which she further developed at the Citizen Newspaper, African News Network and Newzroom Afrika. Do you have a hard news story you would like to share? Email: trisha.pillay@briefly.co.za with CA in the subject line.
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JOHANNESBURG - The 'Tracking Thabo Bester' documentary was aired on Showmax on Friday afternoon after Multichoice won the right to air the documentary.
Multichoice celebrates win
Judge Stuart Wilson of the Johannesburg High Court dismissed the urgent application filed by Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana to interdict the airing of the 'Tracking Thabo Bester' documentary on Showmax—the applications to block the documentary stem from the individuals' claims that it infringes on their rights.
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The decision marked a significant victory for MultiChoice, which upheld the public's right to access the content.
The documentary, which has premiered exclusively on Showmax, sheds light on the allegations surrounding Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana, allowing viewers to form their own opinions about the events in question.
MultiChoice's Group General Counsel, Steven Budlender, praised the High Court's decision and said:
"Showmax is delighted that the High Court has held the public's right to watch the 'Tracking Thabo Bester' documentary. We think the public needs to have the chance to watch the documentary and decide for themselves."
What you need to know about Thabo Bester's Documentary Case
- Thabo Bester and Nandipha Maguduman filed an urgent application to stop the 'Tracking Thabo Bester' documentary as they believed it infringed on their rights.
- The pair lost the bid to halt Showmax from airing the documentary after the High Court in Johannesburg dismissed their application.
- The documentary aired on the 15th of March and focuses on Thabo Bester, who escaped Bloemfontein Maximum Security Prison and was on the run for almost a year before being caught.
Mzansi captured by Bester documentary
The first episode of 'Tracking Thabo Bester' premier is poised to be significant, highlighting the intersection of legal rights, media freedom, and public interest.
People throughout the country shared their thoughts on the two-part series:
@Chéyanne Steyn-Lyon joked:
"So they just wasted tax money trying to stop this? Somehow, I am happy to have paid for this amazing news."
@Sibusiso Sithole shared:
"What about his right? This is all money making."
@Tee commented
"So a whole docu with commentary on the news we already know? Investigate journalism is dead in SA."
@Patriot said:
·"I did say that the lawyers are just trying to milk them as they have no standing case."
@NotYetUhuru expressed:
"There is nothing new though in this doccie no exclusive info is revealed."
@reitumetse_N pleaded:
"Ke kopa logins, please anyone."
Dr Nandipha and Thabo Bester File Urgent Interdict to Stop Showmax Series
In other related news, Briefly News reported that Dr Nandipha and Thabo Bester's lawyers have reportedly filed an urgent court interdict to stop the docu-series.
Tracking Thabo Bester from airing 'Tracking Thabo Bester' is scheduled to premiere on 15 March 2024 on the local streaming platform Showmax.
The Johannesburg High Court was set to decide on the matter in the morning, the same day the series is slated to air.
Source: Briefly News
