Thabo Bester's legal representatives pull out

The Bloemfontein magistrate's court on Tuesday postponed the case against convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester after the withdrawal of his two legal representatives.

Speculation was rife that advocate Jeremiah Pela and instructing attorney Tsireledzo Ndou would withdraw from the case just hours before their client was due to appear with eight other co-accused. When proceedings finally got under way just before 11am, after a delay due to load-shedding, Pela addressed the court on an application to be recused from the matter.

“We request to bring an application for recusal on this matter. Myself and the instructing attorney, Mr Ndou, had a discussion with our client and we reached an amicable agreement that there won't be further instructions from today. So based on that, we do not have further instructions to proceed with this matter and if the court is inclined, it is our humble request for the court to accept our request to be recused,” he said.

Magistrate Motlholo Khabisi asked Bester if he was aware of the duo's application, to which Bester, clad in an expensive Louis Vuitton sweater, replied, “Yes, I am.”

Bester appeared virtually from Kgosi Mampuru prison, where he is currently being held.

Bester's new legal representative, Kabelo Matee, confirmed his mandate to represent him.

The state mentioned a request for Bester to appear physically in court at his next appearance, with the prosecutor saying they had no objection to this request.

Bester's matter was postponed to August 8.

A short adjournment took place before the remaining eight on trial made their appearance. The accused face charges ranging from assisting a convicted criminal to escape from custody to tampering with a corpse, fraud and defeating the ends of justice.

The newest suspect, Zimbabwean national Zanda Moyo, was arrested last week Sunday and appeared in court on Tuesday. 

Four of the nine accused were denied bail in May by the Bloemfontein magistrate's court. 

Natassja Jansen and Dr Nandipha Magudumana's father, Zolile Sekeleni, are the only two granted bail so far.

Magudumana, Bester's girlfriend, abandoned her bail bid to challenge her arrest and apprehension in Tanzania, claiming it was unconstitutional and unlawful. Her application was dismissed by the Free State High Court but she has since filed a notice of application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal.

The group is accused of having played a role in Bester's brazen escape from prison.

Bester escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in May last year, in what is believed to have been aided.

National police commissioner Fannie Masemola previously told media more arrests were expected in the case.

TimesLIVE

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.