A South African court has rejected a last-minute attempt to stop the release of a Netflix documentary about convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester.
According to the BBC, the documentary, titled "Beauty and the Bester," explores Bester's dramatic prison escape and his relationship with celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana.
The streaming giant plans to air the three-part series on Friday, September 12, 2025.
Who is Thabo Bester?
Thabo Bester earned the infamous nickname "Facebook Rapist" for using the social media platform to lure his victims.
He was convicted in 2012 for the rape and murder of his model girlfriend, Nomfundo Tyhulu.
A year earlier, in 2011, he was also found guilty of raping and robbing two other women. Bester was serving a life sentence for these heinous crimes.
The Daring Prison Break
Bester gained global attention in 2023 following his arrest in Tanzania. This came a year after his audacious escape from a private maximum-security prison in Bloemfontein in May 20223.
Authorities initially believed Bester had set himself on fire in his cell. However, DNA tests later revealed the charred remains belonged to another person.
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Local media outlet GroundUp first raised doubts about Bester's supposed death. A subsequent police investigation confirmed the body found in his cell had died from blunt force trauma to the head before being set ablaze.
Bester, allegedly aided by Magudumana, lived undetected under an alias in Johannesburg for a year before their capture in Tanzania in April 2023.
They were then deported back to South Africa. Bester and Magudumana are currently in custody, facing charges including violating a corpse, defeating the ends of justice, and fraud. They have not yet entered pleas.
The Legal Battle Against Netflix
Bester and Magudumana opposed the Netflix documentary, arguing that its contents were defamatory.
Their lawyers also claimed the film violated their rights to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
They asked a court in Pretoria to halt the documentary's release until a finding on their case could be made.
Why the Bid Failed
On Friday, Judge Sulet Potterill dismissed their application. The judge stated that Bester and Magudumana "failed to prove that their petition was urgent".
She further described it as a "self-created urgency," noting that they had ample time to file their applications but "waited until the last minute".
Crucially, the judge also ruled that the matter was "firmly in the public domain". This means the details of the case are already widely known.
The court's decision means the documentary can proceed as planned. However, the judge clarified that Bester and Magudumana retain the right to sue for defamation after the documentary airs if they wish.
"A defamation claim can be instituted and damages sought," the judge stated, according to the BBC.
She also ruled that the screening of the documentary does not affect Magudumana's right to a fair trial.
The highly anticipated "Beauty and the Bester" documentary is now set to be released on Netflix as scheduled.
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