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By Vhahangwele Nemakonde

Digital Deputy News Editor


WATCH: Trouble in paradise for Nandipha and Thabo Bester?

While some believe the two have separated, others say it's an act.


The Free State High Court in Bloemfontein has postponed the pre-trial hearing case of rapist Thabo Bester to 5 June.

This comes after a request by the state due to changes of legal representatives for some of the accused, including accused number 9, Zanda Moyo, whose representative has called it quits.

ALSO READ: Rolex watches among items worth R29m ‘stolen’ from Thabo Bester during his arrest

Bester and his lover Dr Nandipha Magudumana, along with their co-accused, appeared in the Free State High Court on Wednesday morning.

On Wednesday, accused number 7 Thabo Bester’s legal representative, Advocate Mohamed Seedat told the court his client had not taken his diabetes medication due to a wrong meal he was offered at the prison.

“The issue is not him wanting to have the meal, your worship. The issue is that if he does have the meal, my client is diabetic and the food that was provided to him will spike his sugar levels. They did not take that into consideration, if they had, they would have offered him food which is consistent to someone having diabetes,” he said.

WATCH: Lovebirds Thabo Bester and Nandipha reunite for first time after arrest

“He has medication which he needs to consume, unfortunately he cannot take the medication because he has not consumed any food thus far. He has informed them numerous times, but they refuse.

“I was privy and witnessed it. It’s not conducive to give him the said food to someone who suffers from diabetes, that’s the reason he refused to eat the meal. My request is that my client receives food conducive to a diabetic.”

His lawyer also accused prison staff of trying to control him.

“Our client does still possess the constitutional rights, regarding his clothing, we received instructions from him that there are certain persons who are trying to take control and direct what our client may and may not do. Where these instructions come from, we have no idea.”

Apart from Magudumana’s new hairdo and Bester’s haircut, South Africans noticed the cold shoulder he received from Magudumana as she walked past him in the dock.

ALSO READ: Thabo Bester saga: ‘wife’ abandons rented mansion

Although Bester stole some looks at his lover, she did not take one look at him, walking past him to take a seat at the opposite end.

She was, however, warm to her father as she gave him a hug.

Watch the video of Bester and Magudumana below:

The suspects are accused of aiding Bester’s escape from prison, fraud, corruption and defeating the ends of justice.

Bester escaped the Mangaung prison after a fire. A charred body was found in his cell, and presumed to be that of Bester.

ALSO READ: Police raid Thabo Bester’s Hyde Park ‘hideout’

However, the plan went south when Bester was spotted shopping at a Woolworths in Sandton City, nearly two months after his reported death at the prison.

It was later found that Bester had escaped the Free State prison after faking his own death.

Bester, dubbed the Facebook rapist after a spate of robberies, rape and even murder, was sentenced to 50 years in jail by the Durban Magistrate’s Court in 2011.

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Dr Nandipha Nandipha Magudumana Thabo Bester