- Thabo Bester wants the Department of Correctional Services to ease his prison restrictions and let him have contact visits.
- The department says Bester is treated like any other maximum-security inmate and denies claims of inhumane treatment.
Convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester is back in court - this time to fight for easier prison conditions.
In his latest application to the Johannesburg High Court, Bester wants the Department of Correctional Services to let him have contact visits with his family and legal team.
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He argues that his current classification as a sentenced prisoner is unconstitutional and that he should be treated like someone awaiting trial.
According to City Press, Bester also claims that both the department and the National Prosecuting Authority violated his rights during his arrest and trial.
This is not the first time he has gone to court over his conditions. In 2024, he complained to the Free State High Court about alleged inhumane treatment at Kgosi Mampuru II C-Max Prison in Pretoria, where he is held after his escape from Mangaung Prison in 2022.
He said he spends 23 hours a day alone in a small, dim cell, which he claims has harmed his mental health.
However, the Department of Correctional Services has rejected his claims. Spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said Bester is treated the same as any other maximum-security prisoner and still enjoys basic rights such as exercise, showers and consultations.
Bester was arrested in Tanzania in April 2023 and deported to South Africa after his prison break, which exposed deep problems at the privately run Mangaung Correctional Centre.
