The Free State High Court is preparing to assess the latest arguments and determine whether the long delayed prison escape trial of Thabo Bester and his co accused can finally proceed.
The matter reached an impasse in September when Bester replaced his legal team for the fourth time, while his partner, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, awaited the outcome of her Constitutional Court challenge.
Bester and Magudumana were arrested in Tanzania in April 2023 after fleeing South Africa following his dramatic escape from Mangaung Prison. He had been serving a life sentence for murder. The pair are accused of staging his death inside his cell before orchestrating the breakout.
When the case was last before the court in September, Bester was represented by yet another lawyer, marking his fifth legal change since his arrest. The new defence team indicated that they expected to be ready for trial in the first term of 2026.
However, progress remains tied to Magudumana’s constitutional challenge. She is contesting the legality of her return from Tanzania and has asked the Constitutional Court to overturn a Supreme Court decision that upheld her extradition. State prosecutors previously confirmed that they would inform the apex court that the ongoing appeal continues to delay the start of the trial.
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