US EditionSouth Africa Jailbreak Fugitive Loses Bid to Block Netflix Documentary
Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana seek to block Netflix's documentary claiming it jeopardizes their fair trial rights amid ongoing criminal proceedings.
- On Friday, 12 September 2025, Netflix released the three-part documentary Beauty and the Bester about Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana's criminal activities in South Africa.
- Bester and Magudumana filed an urgent interdict to stop the documentary's airing, arguing it infringes on their right to a fair trial and contains falsehoods, but the court dismissed their case.
- The documentary focuses on Bester's 2022 prison escape, which he allegedly faked by faking his death with Magudumana's assistance, and presents details widely known in the public domain.
- Bester's advocate argued Netflix presumes his guilt before conviction, stating airing the series risks irreversible prejudice among Netflix's 300 million subscribers, while Netflix claims Magudumana consented to participation.
- The court ruling arrived too late to prevent the documentary's release, leaving the couple facing multiple charges with a trial scheduled for 10 November at Bloemfontein High Court.
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36 Articles
Daily Journal
South Africa jailbreak fugitive loses bid to block Netflix documentary
A South African court on Friday rejected an attempt to block the release of a Netflix documentary about a man convicted of rape and murder who faked his own death to escape prison.
South Africa: Nandipha and Thabo Bester Fail to Stop Netflix Showing Their Escape Story
The judge threw out their urgent legal case just 30 minutes before the show started streaming this morning. The three-part series called Beauty and the Bester went live on South African Netflix at 9am Friday.
Thabo Bester, Nandipha Netflix doccie: Judgment at 11th hour
The Gauteng High Court will deliver its judgment on Friday morning on an urgent interdict filed by convicted criminal Thabo Bester and his former partner, Nandipha Magudumana, to halt the broadcast of Netflix’s documentary Beauty and the Beast. The judgment will come minutes before the streaming platform is expected to release the three-part series about the former couple’s criminal spree. The duo are facing charges of orchestrating Bester’s 202…
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