The department of correctional services said his transfer to KwaZulu-Natal forms part of routine offender management practices guided by security risk assessments. These assessments are conducted to ensure the safety, security and stability of correctional facilities, and the broader criminal justice system.

Bester will continue to receive appropriate care in line with applicable legislation and policy guidelines, correctional services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said. The offender will continue to receive appropriate care in line with applicable legislative and policy prescripts and will retain full access to legal representation, family communication, and court processes.

All logistical arrangements remain in place to ensure that court appearances and legal proceedings continue without disruption.

Bester became the subject of national and international attention following his dramatic prison escapes in 2022, when he fled the Mangaung correctional centre in the Free State. The escape involved a carefully orchestrated plot in which Bester faked his own death, allowing him to evade authorities for several months.

He was eventually rearrested in Tanzania in 2023 and extradited to South Africa along with his partner, Nandipha Magudumana, a former medical doctor whose involvement in the escape shocked the nation.

Since his return to South Africa, Bester has been held at Kgosi Mampuru II correctional centre, where he raised several grievances before the court regarding the conditions of his detention. Among his complaints were alleged difficulties in consulting privately with his legal team.

“I feel that my confidentiality and consultation are being compromised because I cannot divulge certain information regarding the alleged escape,” Bester said. He also claimed restrictions imposed by the national commissioner had created an environment in which he could not consult freely with his attorneys, expressing fears that his conversations were being monitored and recorded.

The department of correctional services has maintained that all procedures involving high-risk offenders are conducted within the confines of the law, balancing inmates’ rights with security imperatives.

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OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi mvh