[Watch] Thabo Bester’s altercation with prison official caught on camera
· The South African
Thabo Bester made a dramatic appearance before the Free State High Court on Friday, 28 August, after getting into a physical altercation with a prison official.
The convicted rapist, murderer and fraudster, along with his accused, including rumoured girlfriend Nandipha Magudumana, attended a pre-trial case-management hearing relating to his escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in 2022.
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The group are facing multiple charges, including escaping from lawful custody, fraud, arson, violating a corpse and defeating the ends of justice.
The trial is now scheduled to begin in April 2027.
THABO BESTER’S ALTERCATION WITH PRISON OFFICIAL
On X, a clip of Thabo Bester’s physical altercation with a prison official has gone viral.
The convicted rapist, murderer and fraudster appeared virtually before the Free State High Court from the eBongweni Super Maximum Correctional Facility in KwaZulu-Natal.
The purpose of the appearance, alongside Nandipha Magudumana, who also appeared virtually, was to finalise a trial date and address outstanding legal issues.
During live proceedings, Bester and a prison officials phyiscally clashed in a moment caught on camera.
After a short adjournment, the 40-year-old told the court of the scuffle: “They were fighting, saying I’m not allowed to wear this T-shirt with a Polo logo. They wanted to take my clothes off, I must be in court naked, basically that’s what they’re fighting for.”
Thabo Bester is known for his designer-clad appearances in court, including wearing fashion labels like Louis Vuitton, Burberry, and Dior.
Watch the moment below
Thabo Bester was involved in an altercation and had to be restrained before proceedings began after officials allegedly wanted him to remove his shirt because it was branded. pic.twitter.com/GdnKiGCFnk
— News Live SA (@newslivesa) August 28, 2026
TRIAL DATE SET
During court proceedings, Thabo Bester’s team argued that his move to the eBongweni prison in KwaZulu-Natal had hindered his ability to seek legal counsel.
Bester claimed that he had not been convicted of a prison escape, which he claimed did not warrant his move to a super-maximum centre.
Nadipha Magudumana also brought before the court that she was awaiting her Constitutional Court challenge regarding her arrest and return from Tanzania before trial could commence.
Judge Mareena Opperman set a trial window to run between 19 April and 18 June 2027 in the Free State High Court.