Thabo Bester Challenges Netflix Documentary on His Infamous Life

One of South Africa's most notorious rapists and murderers, Thabo Bester, has taken court action to block Netflix from broadcasting a documentary about his life, including how he allegedly faked his death and escaped from prison.

His lawyers argued that 'Beauty and the Bester' was defamatory, but the streaming giant defended its plan to release the three-part investigation.

Bester's partner, celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana, features in the documentary, having allegedly helped him escape. She is part of the court bid to halt the release.

The High Court is expected to give its ruling about 30 minutes before the documentary's planned release to a global audience on Friday.

Bester was convicted in 2012 for the rape and murder of his model girlfriend Nomfundo Tyhulu. A year earlier, he was found guilty of raping and robbing two other women.

Bester became known as the 'Facebook rapist' for using the social networking site to lure his victims.

He was serving a life sentence when he allegedly escaped from a maximum security prison in 2022. A fire broke out in prison, with authorities finding a charred body they thought was Bester's, but it turned out to be that of another person. Undetected for a year, Bester then allegedly lived under an alias in Johannesburg, aided by his partner. The pair were arrested while on the run in Tanzania in April 2023, and were deported.

Currently in custody, they await trial on several charges, including violating a corpse, defeating the ends of justice, and fraud.

Bester's lawyer claimed that the documentary infringed on his right to a fair trial, arguing that it undermined the presumption of innocence. Netflix's legal representative stated that the documentary gives victims a long-denied platform. Judge Sulet Potterill asked Netflix when it intended to release it and is set to provide her ruling shortly before then.

Bester's alleged escape made international headlines and sparked outrage in South Africa, which has one of the highest rates of sexual assault in the world.