---
title: "Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana threaten court action to stop book release"
description: "Facebook rapist Thabo Bester wants to ‘avoid being prosecuted by and in the media’, according to his lawyers."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "GROUNDUP"
author: "GroundUp Staff"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/groundup-staff/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-10-11-thabo-bester-threatens-court-action-to-stop-book-release/"
published: "2023-10-11T08:50:29"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 309
---

# Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana threaten court action to stop book release

> Facebook rapist Thabo Bester wants to ‘avoid being prosecuted by and in the media’, according to his lawyers.

By GroundUp Staff · Published 11 October 2023, 10:50 SAST

## Key points
- Convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester and the alleged accomplice in his escape, Nandipha Magudumana, have requested that NB Publishers provide a digital copy of the book about them, The Thabo Bester Story: The Facebook Rapist, the Celebrity Doctor and the Escape from Cell 35, or face an urgent court interdict – but NB Publishers has said it "fundamentally disagrees" with the request.
- Convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester and his alleged accomplice in his escape, Nandipha Magudumana, sent a letter of demand to NB Publishers, GroundUp News and several booksellers.
- The letter requests a digital copy of a new book about Bester by close of business on Tuesday.
- If the request is not met, Bester and Magudumana will launch an urgent court application to interdict the publication of the book.
- NB Publishers disagrees with the claim they need permission from the subject of a book on current affairs.

## Content

NB Publishers, *GroundUp News* and several booksellers received a letter of demand on Friday afternoon from law firm Loubser and Loubser Inc on behalf of convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester and the alleged accomplice in his escape, Nandipha Magudumana.

In the letter, Bester’s attorneys request a digital copy of a new book by *GroundUp* reporters Marecia Damons and Daniel Steyn, titled *The Thabo Bester Story: The Facebook Rapist, the Celebrity Doctor and the Escape from Cell 35*, by close of business on Tuesday, 10 October.

If NB Publishers fails to provide a digital copy, Bester and Magudumana will launch an urgent court application to interdict the publication of the book, the letter says.

Bester, a convicted rapist, and murderer, [escaped from prison](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article_tag/thabo-bester/) in May 2022 after allegedly faking his own death. Magudumana faces several charges relating to Bester’s escape. Both are currently in custody – Bester at Kgosi Mampuru Prison and Magudumana at Kroonstad prison.

According to the letter, neither “our client nor Dr Magudumana have granted the right, permission or authority to any party to write and/or publish the book. We also place on record that there were no personal interviews held with our client or Dr Magudumana which raises imminent concerns regarding the accuracy and correctness of the version which stands to be published soon.”

According to Loubser and Loubser, Bester wants to “avoid being prosecuted in and by the media before the matter is concluded in the normal cause of the legal processes.”

**Read more in Daily Maverick:**[Thabo Bester](https://www-dailymaverick-co-za.webpkgcache.com/doc/-/s/www.dailymaverick.co.za/article_tag/thabo-bester/)

Asked for comment by *GroundUp*, NB Publishers said it “fundamentally disagrees with the startling claim that authors are required to obtain prior permission from the subject of a book on current affairs and maintain that all the standard protocols were followed in the compilation of the book”. **DM**

*First published by*[GroundUp](https://www.groundup.org.za/article/bester-and-magudumana-threaten-court-action-to-stop-book-release/).