Thabo Bester, currently held at Kgosi Mampuru II CMAX prison, engaged in a tense exchange with the judge over his request for laptop access. Bester claims he needs the laptop to prepare his defense strategy for his upcoming trial in February 2025
The judge firmly stated, “You don’t have a constitutional right to a laptop and a modem.” Bester retaliated, accusing the judge of bias. Bester emphasized his harsh living conditions, saying, “I don’t even get a newspaper, I don’t have a radio, I don’t have a watch… I don’t even know what time it is. That’s how I’ve lived for the past 16 months.”
Bester said it was not an impossible task for the department to grant him access to a laptop as it was already doing that for inmate students.“Students in prison have access to laptops,” argued Bester.
“Are you a student? I’m giving you access to law books and all the material you need, it will just not be electronic.”
Bester said it was irrelevant and discriminative to insist only students are privileged to have access to laptops.“If I am denied just because I am not a student, I would not want to be a student just because I want to put an application in court.”
Bester’s concerns about accessing legal documents and confidential consultations with his lawyer were previously raised during his pre-trial conference ¹. He alleged that the Department of Correctional Services records his phone calls with his attorney, hindering open discussion about his case.
Bester, dubbed the Facebook rapist after a spate of robberies, rape and murder, was sentenced to 50 years in jail by the Durban Magistrate’s Court in 2011.
