Court dismisses Thabo Bester's bid for laptop and relaxed jail conditions

Convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester has suffered another legal setback after the Free State High Court dismissed his application claiming his right to a fair trial was being infringed.

Bester had requested access to a laptop and argued that being kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day was unconstitutional.

He further told the court that officials from the Department of Correctional Services had denied him adequate time for legal consultations.

Bester’s legal team raised concerns regarding the difficulty of consulting with their client at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre. Key arguments presented by Bester included:

Limited Privacy: Claims that a lack of privacy during consultations hampers his defence.

Time Constraints: Arguments that insufficient daily time with his legal team infringes on his right to a fair trial.

Restricted Movement: Challenges to the practice of being transported to court in hand and leg restraints, which Bester claims is unlawful.

Solitary Confinement: Assertions that his 23-hour-a-day confinement is unconstitutional and prevents adequate trial preparation.

Despite these arguments, the Free State High Court did not agree.

In his judgment, Judge Petrus Daffue stated that while he has sympathy for Bester’s situation, the applicant failed to demonstrate a reasonable basis for the relief sought.