Thabo Bester Transferred to eBongweni Super-Max Prison Ahead of Trial

Authorities said the transfer forms part of routine offender management procedures and was conducted following security risk assessments.

Convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester has been transferred to the eBongweni Correctional Centre, a super maximum-security facility in Kokstad, the Department of Correctional Services has confirmed.

Bester was previously being held at the Kgoši Mampuru II Correctional Centre (C-Max) in Pretoria. Authorities said the transfer forms part of routine offender management procedures and was conducted following security risk assessments.

The Department of Correctional Services emphasised that inmate transfers are standard practice aimed at maintaining the safety, security and stability of correctional facilities and the broader criminal justice system.

Officials said Bester will continue to receive care in line with legislative and policy requirements and will retain full access to legal representation, family communication and court processes. Logistical arrangements remain in place to ensure his court appearances and legal proceedings are not disrupted.

Bester gained national notoriety after escaping from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in 2022 in a sophisticated breakout that exposed serious security failures within the prison system. He was later re-arrested in Tanzania, alongside his co-accused, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, and extradited back to South Africa.

His upcoming trial, which is expected to begin in July, is anticipated to draw significant public attention due to the scale and implications of his escape and the crimes for which he has been convicted.