Overview
- The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, which heard the case on Tuesday, reserved judgment on Bester’s urgent bid to reclassify his detention and to question the warrants that keep him in prison.
- Bester told the court he was lawfully released from Mangaung in May 2022, not an escapee, and argued that being labeled as one harms his right to a fair trial and access to legal preparation.
- Correctional Services opposed the application, saying his detention is lawful, the sentence warrants stand, and the case is not urgent, noting that earlier this month the Pretoria High Court again refused to move him from the eBongweni super‑max facility.
- Bester alleged years in solitary confinement have damaged his health and limited his ability to consult, while he also pursues access to a laptop, the unfreezing of bank accounts, and certain phone records he says are key to his defence.
- His escape‑related trial is set for 20 July to 18 September 2026 in the Free State High Court, and the outcome of these procedural fights could shape his custody conditions and trial readiness.