Johannesburg - Convicted sex offender and murderer Thabo Bester was seen wearing an uninterested look on his face when he appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court virtually from the Kgosi Mampuru prison in Tshwane. And he was rocking an expensive Louis Vuitton sweatshirt worth a whopping R22 956.34.
Bester was under heavy police guard.
Bester, his girlfriend Dr Nandipha Magudumana, and seven other accused are appearing in court over his brazen escape from the Mangaung Correctional Facility in the Free State last year.
The pair have been making waves with their luxury fashion brands like Louis Vuitton, Burberry hoodies, which are worth between R17 000 and R19 000, and Nike tracksuits.
Magudumana has yet to reveal what she is wearing. Previously, she made headlines for wearing expensive clothes, her wedding ring and make-up.
She, too, is set to make a virtual appearance in court.
Speaking to The Star, Correctional Services Department spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said accused had the right to wear their own clothes.
He said Bester’s lawyers, who had been representing him, had recused themselves from representing Bester in the case. One is facing fraud and rape cases.
Two new lawyers representing Bester attended the court proceedings today.
Magistrate Mohlolo Khabisi announced that Bester’s case was postponed until August 8, 2023, for further investigation.
"You will remain in custody until your next appearance. Do you hear me, Bester?" asked Khabisi.
“Yes, I hear you,”Bester said twice in a low voice.
The State did not oppose the postponement.
Recently, Magudumana’s case was heard in the High Court where she wanted the case struck off with costs, amid claims that she was illegally arrested and deported to South Africa.
Bester and Magudumana were arrested in Arusha, Tanzania, a few kilometres from Kenya, in April this year.
Bester faked his death in his mission to escape from the facility run by G4S security.
The charred body used as a decoy by Bester was that of Katlego Bereng. His family is also in court, and they want justice to prevail.
The Star