The Thabo Bester case took a new twist on Tuesday as the Johannesburg High Court decided to postpone its ruling on his urgent request to be reclassified as a remand detainee instead of an escapee.
Bester, who is a convicted rapist and murderer, represented himself in court, claiming that being labeled an escapee infringes on his constitutional rights before a criminal court has officially made a decision on the issue. His request questions the validity of the escape charge that arose from his dramatic breakout from Mangaung Correctional Centre in 2022, where he pretended to die in a cell fire.
He argued in court that authorities need to demonstrate, through appropriate legal channels, that he escaped from custody. Bester also challenged the legitimacy of the warrant that was used to justify his ongoing detention under escapee status.
Earlier this month, the Pretoria High Court rejected his request to be moved from a supermax facility in KwaZulu-Natal to Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre.
This latest request adds to a series of legal challenges initiated by Bester as he continues to fight against the conditions and classification of his imprisonment, with a decision now awaited.
Email : motshwari@onenews.co.za
