Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana prison escape trial postponed to April 2027
The plea and trial in the Thabo Bester prison escape case have been postponed to April 19, 2027, and are scheduled to run until June 18, 2027, in Bloemfontein. This decision was made after the matter returned to the Free State High Court on August 28, 2026. Bester and his former girlfriend, Nandipha Magudumana, appeared virtually, while their co-accused were present in person. The case has experienced repeated delays, with the last postponement in June due to Bester's legal team requesting more time for consultation. Bester, a convicted murderer and rapist, Magudumana, and their co-accused face charges related to Bester's escape from Mangaung Correctional Centre in May 2022, where he allegedly faked his death. They were arrested on April 7, 2026, in Tanzania. The accused include Magudumana’s father, Zolile Cornelius Sekeleni, and several former G4S employees, facing charges such as fraud, corruption, money laundering, assisting an inmate to escape, violation of a body, arson, and defeating the ends of justice. The case is further complicated by issues with legal representation, appeals, and Magudumana's challenge of her arrest and extradition in the Constitutional Court. Judge Mareena Opperman has noted the extensive evidence to be reviewed, and Bester's lawyer has raised concerns about prison conditions and access to a laptop for defense preparation.