Thabo Bester Files Papers With the Constitutional Court To Appeal Decision Over Prison Conditions

• Convicted murderer Thabo Bester continues to battle for better prison conditions as he takes the fight to the Constitutional Court
• He filed a motion to appeal the Free State High Court's ruling which overruled his claims of poor conditions in prison
• South Africans lambasted him and accused him of trying to avoid facing the music for his crimes, the most recent of which was escaping from prison

With nine years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

BLOEMFONTEIN, FREE STATE — South Africans slammed convicted murderer Thabo Bester's continued efforts to improve his allegedly poor prison conditions. He filed papers on 17 March 2025 to appeal the Bloemfontein High Court's decision with the Constitutional Court.

What did Thabo Bester appeal?

According to SABC News, Bester filed papers to challenge his poor prison conditions as he alleged last year. Bester, in June 2024, asked for the death sentence and complained about the prison conditions he was experiencing. He alleged that his feet were icy and was suffering from the coldness of his prison cell. He also said that there was a political hand interfering with his case.

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Bester also wanted to file his legal challenge during pre-trial proceedings to the criminal court and not the civil court. He applied to have his laptop returned to him, and the judge ruled against him. In February 2025, the court found that his objection to the civil court jurisdiction was unmerited and was dismissed.

Bester's escape and re-arrest

Bester, a convicted murderer, escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Facility with the help of his lover Nandipha Magudumana, prison officials and a security guard in 2022. They spent almost a year on the lam, during which time they rented a house in Sandton and were spotted by members of the public. They were eventually caught in Tanzania nine months later, arrested and sent back to South Africa to face the music.

What you need to know about Thabo Bester's case

• Magudumana in September 2023 claimed during her bail application that Bester forced her to flee South Africa.
• The Bloemfontein Magistrates Court denied her bail as the court said she was a flight risk.
• The state dropped its case against former G4S employee Natassja Jansen in October of the same year.
• Documents leaked in February 2024 exposed an array of criminal activities in prison linked to Bester.
• An analyst said that Magudumana was distancing herself from Bester after they appeared in court in June 2024.

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South Africans disinterested in Bester

Netizens commenting on SABC News's Facebook post were not interested in his appeal.

Joseph Maape said:

"Using money to stall the court hearing. South Africa's justice system has loopholes."

Mabwedza Lameck said:

"I wonder where he gets the money for multiple appeals because it's a very costly process."

Rhinoh Bulelani said:

"His constitutional rights must be forfeited."

Chee Lebea said:

"This guy was sentenced to life imprisonment, so why are you wasting resources?"

Mzukisi Sivenene said:

"He learned from a certain old man who goes to all our courts in one year."

Nandi Magudumana accuses government officials of abuse

In a related article, Breifly News reported that in 2023 Magudumana issued a statement and said government officials and powerful families in South Africa are targeting her.

She said that the families were responsible for physical, emotional, financial, and sexual abuse at their hands. However, South Africans refused to believe her.

Source: Briefly News