Bester, Magudumana claim Netflix docuseries misrepresents them

Thabo Bester‘s attorneys have accused Netflix of bias, saying he is being portrayed as guilty of his alleged prison escape while the matter is still before the courts.

The convicted Facebook rapist and murderer and his partner Dr. Nandipha Magudumana, filed an urgent application to interdict the release of the three-part docu-series ‘Beauty and the Bester’, set to premiere tomorrow.

Their legal teams argued that Netflix should withhold the documentary until the criminal trial has concluded.

Advocate Benjamin wa Maila, representing Bester, slammed Netflix’s justification that viewers “cannot be kept in suspense,” accusing the streaming giant of prioritising the “emotional tickling” of audiences over his client’s constitutional rights.

He argued the trailer already violates Bester’s right to dignity and said the title unfairly portrays him as a “beast.” He further claimed the platform is exploiting his life story for profit without his consent.

He further claimed the platform is exploiting Bester’s life story for profit without his consent.

 

 

Advocate Inolofatseng Morero, added that Bester deserves an opportunity to tell his side of the story.

“They should have approached him. If Netflix was a South African company they would have had to approach him. Does he want to tell his side of the story? Yes he does, indeed. For a story to be told, every side of it needs to be told, then the public will be able to deduce what happened,” says Morero.

Dr. Magudumana’s lawyer, Advocate Lerato Moela, echoed the concerns, saying she too was denied a right of reply. He argued that commercial interests cannot outweigh constitutional rights.

Netflix has continued to promote the series, which explores Bester’s infamous 2022 prison escape, the couple’s arrest in Tanzania in 2023, and broader issues within South Africa’s prison and justice systems.

Advocate Thembeka Ngcukaitobi, arguing in support of Netflix, pushed back, saying the court has already established that Bester escaped from Mangaung Prison, where he was serving a life sentence, and that Magudumana aided the escape.

“This is a serious court. The man was sentenced to life — he was never released. Let’s not play around,” said Ngcukaitobi. He added that Magudumana’s fingerprints were found at the mortuary where the body used to fake Bester’s death was kept.

Some South Africans outside court told YNews they are eager to see the series.

Judge Sulet Potterill, has reserved judgment until tomorrow morning— just 30 minutes before the scheduled premiere in South Africa.

Bester was serving a life sentence at Mangaung Prison for two counts of rape and one of murder when he escaped, allegedly with the help of Magudumana.

They were arrested in Arusha, Tanzania, in April 2023 after fleeing South Africa.

They will be back in the Bloemfontein High Court on 19 September, for pre-trial proceedings.

Written by: Odirile Rabalao