Thabo Bester, one of South Africa's most infamous rapists and murderers, has taken legal action against Netflix to block the release of a documentary about his life. The docuseries, titled 'Beauty and the Bester', is set to cover how he allegedly faked his own death and escaped from prison.
Bester's lawyers have claimed the documentary is defamatory and have asked the court for an injunction to prevent its broadcast. The High Court is expected to make a ruling shortly before the planned release time, adding suspense to an already gripping narrative.
The documentary features Bester's partner, celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana, who is also implicated in his escape, lending further intrigue to the case.
Bester was convicted in 2012 for the rape and murder of his model girlfriend, Nomfundo Tyhulu. He has been labelled the 'Facebook rapist' for using social media to lure his victims. Despite being sentenced to life in prison, Bester allegedly managed to escape from a maximum-security facility in 2022, under controversial circumstances involving a prison fire that led authorities to initially believe he had died.
After remaining undetected for a year while living in Johannesburg under an alias, Bester and Magudumana were apprehended in Tanzania in April 2023. They are currently in custody awaiting trial on multiple charges, including fraud and manipulation of a corpse.
In court, Bester’s attorney argued that the documentary violates his right to a fair trial and seeks to portray him unjustly as a 'beast'. Conversely, Netflix’s representative contended that the series provides much-needed voice to Bester's victims, arguing that blocking the documentary would silence them yet again.
