Dr Nandipha Magudumana, once admired as a successful celebrity doctor and businesswoman, is now at the centre of a scandal gripping the nation.
Netflix’s new true crime documentary series, Beauty And The Bester, set to premiere on 12 September. It exposes her tumultuous and ill-fated relationship with convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester.
DR NANDIPHA MAGUDUMANA’S INVOLVEMENT WITH THABO BESTER
The three-part series chronicles how Dr Magudumana’s seemingly perfect life unraveled following her connection to Bester, according to Netflix.
Bester infamously escaped from Mangaung Maximum Security Prison in 2022 by faking his death in a cell fire.
The documentary traces events from staged celebrity conferences and extravagant lifestyles to a viral photo of the pair shopping together in Sandton City. The photo is what triggered a massive manhunt.
DR NANDIPHA MAGUDUMANA AND BESTER EXTRADITED
Thabo Bester, known as the ‘Facebook Rapist’ for luring victims online, fled for nearly a year before authorities arrested him in Tanzania in April 2023.
Police arrested him alongside Dr Magudumana, his accomplice and partner in the eyes of the law. They extradited both back to South Africa in handcuffs, sparking widespread shock and disbelief.
COURTROOM FOOTAGE AND INTERVIEWS
Courtroom footage and exclusive investigative material reveal the bizarre bond between a respected doctor and one of South Africa’s most notorious criminals.
Friends and family will also share their bewilderment and sorrow in interviews.
They struggle to comprehend how Dr Magudumana, a married mother of two who reportedly deserted her family, became entangled in Bester’s web of deceit.
Police reports and court evidence suggest that Dr Magudumana willingly eloped with Bester. She abandoned her children and legal husband. Lt Colonel Tieho Flyman.
TWISTED LOVE
Flyman is an investigating officer, described her as a willing partner who rejected claims of being kidnapped or threatened.
“She chose to be with Bester,” he said, emphasising her complicity in the escape plan.
The documentary also sheds light on the couple’s fraudulent business dealings, including a scam property company.
BEAUTY AND THE BESTER
They first met in 2006 in the corridors of the University of the Witwatersrand. From there, their story unfolded dramatically. Their arrest abroad shocked many.
Beauty And The Bester promises to reveal a story of manipulation.
It is a story of a love turned sour, and corruption, one that has left South Africa questioning how such a dark chapter unfolded beneath their eyes.
Beauty And The Bester will resonate strongly with South Africans still grappling with the repercussions of this real-life thriller that unraveled their sense of security and justice.
DO YOU BELIEVE LOVE OR MANIPULATION PLAYED A BIGGER ROLE IN THIS STORY?
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