Netflix’s Thabo Bester Documentary Cleared for Release by South African Court
A South African court has greenlit Netflix’s airing of a documentary detailing the life and crimes of Thabo Bester, a convicted rapist. The three-part true-crime series, titled “Beauty and the Bester,” is scheduled to premiere today across South Africa. This development highlights the evolving landscape of true-crime storytelling in Africa, and how the South African court system approaches the complexities of these types of cases.
The Legal Battle and the Documentary’s Content
The highly anticipated documentary explores Bester’s life, focusing on his escape from prison in 2022 and the alleged involvement of his accomplice, Nandipha Magudamana. Both are currently in custody. Bester and Magudamana attempted to block the documentary’s release, arguing that it would be defamatory and prejudice their right to a fair hearing in their upcoming trial, scheduled for November. According to BBC reports, their legal team contended that the documentary might unfairly influence public opinion and put them at a disadvantage during the trial. The charges against Bester and Magudamana, which they face at the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein, relate to Bester’s escape from prison in May 2022, an incident that captured significant media attention.
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