Thabo Bester prison escape case to stall for another 4 months

JOHANNESBURG -The Thabo Bester prison escape case will stall for another four months following a brief first appearance in the Bloemfontein High Court.

The convicted killer and rapist appeared alongside his accomplice Dr Nandipha Magudumana and seven of their co-accused including Magudumana’s father.

They are all accused of aiding Bester to escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre where he was serving a life sentence in May 2022.

On Wednesday, a pre-trial hearing was postponed after some of the accused including Bester himself changed legal representatives.

READ:Prison authorities targeting Bester by depriving him of his dietary needs, argues defence

State prosecutor Advocate Amanda Bester said the State was ready to proceed.

"We have agreed and I have also compiled a draft order regarding the rest of the proceedings. We are going to postpone this matter up until the 5th of June for purposes of pre-trial. The legal representatives must collect the copies of the dockets before or on the 29th of March 2024."