Thabo Bester's bid for laptop denied

Convicted rapist and murderer, Thabo Bester’s bid for laptop access has been denied, with the Pretoria High Court striking the matter off the roll due to a lack of urgency.

Bester, who escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in 2022, argued that he needed the device to prepare for his upcoming deportation case and criminal trial.

He claimed that accessing a government press briefing, which elaborated on the reasons for his deportation from Tanzania last year, was vital to his defence.

The state has, however, objected to the request as a security risk, saying it might enable him to orchestrate another escape.

Bester, notoriously referred to as the “Facebook Rapist,” was deported from Tanzania after being arrested on April 8, 2023, alongside his alleged accomplice, Dr Nandipha Magudumana.

The duo was caught in Arusha after Bester had been on the run for almost a year following his daring escape.

He had faked his own death in a prison cell fire in May 2022, sparking a massive manhunt after non-profit news agency, GroundUp, was tipped off about his escape after he was spotted shopping at a retailer in Sandton.