Thabo Bester, the convicted murderer and ‘Facebook rapist’, has been denied the opportunity to testify before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations made by SAPS KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. The committee met virtually on Monday to discuss housekeeping matters, including a late submission from Bester, who is currently awaiting trial on several charges.
Bester’s request to appear before the committee was met with skepticism, with the Chairperson of the Ad Hoc committee, Soviet Lekganyane, expressing his displeasure with the submission. Lekganyane stated that Bester’s request was not justified, and that the committee was at a point where it needed to focus on suggesting interventions to address the escalating crime rate in the country.
Background on Thabo Bester’s Case
Bester was arrested in 2023 in Tanzania, along with his life partner Nandipha Magudumana, following a series of events that shocked the nation. This included Bester’s notorious prison break from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein, where he was serving a life imprisonment term for rape and murder convictions.
The Gauteng High Court recently turned down Bester’s urgent bid to be transferred back to a prison in Gauteng, with Judge John Holland-Muter stating that the Department of Correctional Services had made it clear that they had moved Bester from C-Max Prison for security reasons, and that this was within their rights.
Committee’s Decision
The committee ultimately decided that it was too late in the process to hear testimony from Bester, and that there were other avenues available to him, such as the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services. Andile Tetyana from Parliament’s Legal Services told the committee that Bester’s letter was ‘scant’ and did not clearly spell out what contribution he would be making to the committee’s terms of reference.
As noted on the South African Government website, the Department of Correctional Services is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of prisoners, and the committee’s decision reflects this priority. The committee’s focus on addressing the escalating crime rate in the country is also in line with the concerns about crime in South Africa that have been raised by various stakeholders.
- Bester’s request to testify was denied due to its late submission and lack of clarity
- The committee is focusing on suggesting interventions to address the escalating crime rate in the country
- Bester has other avenues available to him, such as the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services
