Showmax finally set to air “Tracking Thabo Bester” documentary
Streaming service Showmax’s highly anticipated documentary “Tracking Thabo Bester” is finally set to air after overcoming legal hurdles.
A Johannesburg High Court judge rejected attempts by convicted rapist Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana, with whom he is romantically linked, to halt the broadcast of a four-part documentary series about Bester’s crimes.
Concerns had been raised that a state witness in Bester’s upcoming trial would appear in the documentary, potentially compromising his right to a fair trial.
Bester alleges a conflict of interest with the witness in his escape trial.
According to Bester, this witness was financially compensated by Showmax (at least R300,000 or US$16 000) and is motivated to protect his former girlfriend, who is also facing charges.
“The motive of this witness was stated by him to or about the effect that: ‘I wanted to change the narrative as it concerns my sister to the extent that she was under the evil spell of Bester’.
“The likelihood of state witnesses being influenced by commercial motivation or the seduction of sensational publicity is clear. This has material bearing on my criminal trial,” Bester told the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg.
“The documentary’s intention is clearly to sensationalise matters about me by vilifying me in the public eye.”
While Bester did not name the witness, it is understood that he is Magudumana’s brother. He first raised the alarm about his sister’s involvement with the inmate.
On the other hand, Magudumana’s legal team argued that Showmax could profit from broadcasting a documentary produced without her consent.
However, the streaming service told Judge Stuart Wilson that the content of the documentary was public knowledge and had been widely reported by news outlets.
In his judgment, Wilson stated that Bester and Magudumana’s lawyers failed to prove that their rights to a fair trial would be infringed. He declined to order costs against them after citing that they were both inmates.
The documentary is set to air at 4 pm [RSA time] on Friday.
Meanwhile, Bester has seemingly confirmed that he and Magudumana have broken up. In his urgent application against Showmax, he made references to “an accused person, namely my former girlfriend”.
Magudumana and Bester made headlines after GroundUp exposed how the married aesthetics doctor and influencer had allegedly helped her inmate boyfriend escape jail.
Also read: Eldoret man admits to raping male colleague