Beauty and the Bester airing given green light by High Court
The screening of Netflix's docuseries Beauty and the Bester has been given the green light to air.
The Pretoria High Court on Friday dismissed applications by murder convict Thabo Bester and his former partner, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, to block the release of the three-part series on Friday.
The documentary follows the ongoing trial of the pair, who face several charges, including defeating the ends of justice and fraud linked to Bester’s escape from a maximum-security prison in 2022.
Bester argued that the series uses selective editing and unverified claims to sensationalise the story.
Judge Sulet Potteril handed down judgment on Friday.
She says no judge will be swayed by a documentary.
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" Witnesses will be exposed to cross-examination. The public will form an opinion, but that is a byproduct of the criminal justice system and does not affect the rights of Mr Bester as claimed. This matter is also struck from the role."
On Magudumana's bid, Potteril said that while she can pursue a claim for defamation, that doesn't apply in her case.
" I cannot in any way find that the screening on the three utterances, which they find to make the doctor guilty or affect her right to a fair trial, has any merit. I find that the application is not urgent and it is struck from the role. The applicant is to pay the costs."
The three-part docuseries will start screening on Friday.
How far would she go for love? This three-part documentary series examines Dr Nandipha’s connection to Thabo Bester’s outrageous prison escape. Beauty And The Bester, only on Netflix 12 September. pic.twitter.com/4kthZpPLrz
— NetflixSA (@NetflixSA) August 20, 2025
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