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Bloemfontein. – Convicted rapist and murderer, Thabo Bester, has told the court he doesn’t intend to apply for bail just yet.

Instead, the man dubbed the “Facebook rapist” says he will apply at a later stage.

Bester appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court yesterday, 11 months after he escaped from the G4S-run Mangaung Correctional Centre.

Bester faces charges of escape, as well as defeating the ends of justice, violation of a body and fraud.

Bester listened intently as his legal representative stated his case before the magistrate, who initially declined Bester’s request to address the court.

His lawyer said Bester feared for his safety in prison and was unhappy with the food he was served in prison.

The matter was adjourned to next month.

Bester and his lover, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, were arrested in Tanzania at the weekend after they fled South Africa.

They were brought back to the country in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Magudumana appeared in court hours later. She faces charges of aiding and abetting an escapee, murder, violation of bodies and fraud.

To date, the people arrested over Bester’s escape also include Magadumana’s father, Zolile Cornelius Sikelele, former G4S employee Senohe Ishmael Matsoara and Integritron CCTV technician Tebogo James Lipholo.

Meanwhile, Bester’s mother of has  said she will not be visiting him in prison.

“I will allow some people to go and see him, I will never visit him, I don’t have that heart. I don’t, I don’t … I’m sure it will be my death.

“I can’t handle what I’m seeing on TV, what will happen when I see it live? … What will happen to me when I see it live? … I have other kids to live for,” said Maria Mabaso, who gave birth to Bester at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in June 1986.

Mabaso said she wants her son to change and be a better person.

“This child will kill me, he will kill me, this is a death sentence of a child, he won’t die, he’s still young. I’m old, I’m going to die,” she said.

Mabaso gave birth to Bester on June 13, 1986 when she was just 16-years-old.

She gave Bester to his grandmother Johanna Bester, who has since died.

She denied that she abandoned her son and said it was Bester who didn’t want to live with her. – IOLNews