Court grants Showmax the greenlight for Thabo Bester documentary

by Sergio Miller

The Johannesburg High Court has officially dismissed the alleged Facebook rapist Thabo Bester and girlfriend Dr Nandipha Magudumana’s request to stop the airing of streaming platform Showmax’s eagerly anticipated documentary series – Tracking Thabo Bester. 

This comes after the notorious couple expressed their dissatisfaction about the airing of the show without their permission. In addition to this, their legal team revealed that the documentary featured one of the state witnesses and added that their presence might jeopardize Thabo and Nandipha’s chances of having a fair trial. 

However, after making their court appearance on Friday, Judge Wilson rejected their application saying that the case was already of public interest. 

He further added that the documentary contains no new revelations, other than the facts the public is already aware of, and explained that the media has the right to broadcast. 

“I have read the papers and am very familiar with these cases. I understand that their case is in the media space. This is an object of media piece,” he said. 

Following the judge’s decision, Nandipha’s legal representative Advocate Machini Motloung said that although he is not entirely happy with the outcome, he is grateful for the opportunity to share their side. He later added that his client would soon tell her own story. 

“My client is also planning to release her own documentary. You will see it soon,” he said. 

On Friday evening Tracking Thabo Bester officially aired on Showmax with South African subscribers glued to the captivating dramas that took place. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) viewers shared some of their thoughts surrounding the drama. 

One user wrote:

Nandipha’s brother Nkosinathi appeared to be the biggest hero so far as the public praised him for his honesty and standing for truth. This comes as Nathi is believed to be the one who initially unmasked Thabo as being the Facebook rapist after Nandipha first introduced him to her family as a medical professional who at the time was her “mentor”.

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