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. He 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 that 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 South Africa's main city, Johannesburg, helped by his partner. The pair were arrested while on the run in Tanzania in April 2023, and were deported. They are currently in custody, awaiting trial on several charges - including violating a corpse, defeating the ends of justice, and fraud.
Bester's lawyer, Advocate Moafrika Wa Maila, argued that the documentary infringed his right to a fair trial, claiming there is not proof that he had escaped. Netflix's legal representative stated that the documentary provides a platform for the victims of Bester, allowing their voices to finally be heard after years of silence. The judge indicated that she would provide a ruling shortly before the scheduled documentary debut.
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. He 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 that 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 South Africa's main city, Johannesburg, helped by his partner. The pair were arrested while on the run in Tanzania in April 2023, and were deported. They are currently in custody, awaiting trial on several charges - including violating a corpse, defeating the ends of justice, and fraud.
Bester's lawyer, Advocate Moafrika Wa Maila, argued that the documentary infringed his right to a fair trial, claiming there is not proof that he had escaped. Netflix's legal representative stated that the documentary provides a platform for the victims of Bester, allowing their voices to finally be heard after years of silence. The judge indicated that she would provide a ruling shortly before the scheduled documentary debut.
