The Free State High Court in Bloemfontein postponed the Thabo Bester prison escape trial to April 2027, leaving the family of Katlego Bereng — whose body was allegedly used as a decoy in the escape — still waiting for answers more than four years after his death.
Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana appeared virtually at the pre-trial hearing on 28 August 2026, while their co-accused appeared in person. Judge Mareena Opperman set the plea and trial window for 19 April 2027 to 18 June 2027.
Opperman ruled that accused number 1 and accused number 7 must appear in person once the trial begins. “The appearances for accused number 1 and 7 for the trial, it will be in person,” she said during proceedings.
The Bereng family, who have repeatedly called for Bester and Magudumana to face them physically in court, welcomed the directive. Monica Matsie, Bereng’s mother, told SABC News she remains tormented by unanswered questions about how her son’s body ended up in the prison cell.
“We want justice to prevail. I want to know what exactly happened for my son to end up in that prison, that is when I will have peace because now I can’t even sleep, thinking about my son,” Matsie said.
Bester allegedly escaped from Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein in May 2022 by faking his death in a cell fire. Authorities allege Bereng’s body was smuggled into the facility and burned in Bester’s cell to create the impression he had died. Bester and Magudumana were arrested in Tanzania in April 2023 and returned to South Africa.
Advocate Moafrika Wa Maila, representing some of the accused, told the court the defence was not prepared to proceed. “We are not ready to proceed unless our matter will be addressed,” Wa Maila said during the hearing.
The case has drawn intense public scrutiny since GroundUp exposed Bester’s escape in March 2023, revealing that the convicted rapist and murderer had been running a business from hiding while authorities believed he was dead. The scandal cost several senior correctional services officials their posts and triggered a parliamentary inquiry into the private management of Mangaung prison by G4S subsidiary Bloemfontein Correctional Contracts.
It remains unclear what specific pre-trial disputes remain unresolved and whether further postponements are likely before the April 2027 window. Cape Flats will monitor court filings and SAPS updates as the trial date approaches.