Zuko Komisa
- Convicted murderer Thabo Bester’s last-minute request to testify was formally rejected by MPs.
- Parliamentary legal experts and the committee chair branded the application vague and inappropriate.
- Officials stressed that Parliament will not provide a platform to justify criminal conduct or prison escapes.
A heated row erupted during a parliamentary committee meeting following a late application from convicted murderer Thabo Bester to testify before MPs.
While the committee originally convened to address administrative matters, Bester’s eleventh-hour request to assist the probe caused immediate friction.
Parliamentary legal advisers dismissed the submission as ‘frivolous’, noting it failed to specify how Bester’s testimony would provide any meaningful contribution.
MPs ultimately agreed the application arrived too late in the process, concluding that Bester should pursue existing legal channels rather than a parliamentary platform.
Committee Chairperson Soviet Lekganyane fiercely rejected the bid, arguing that granting a platform to a prison escapee would “promote lawlessness” and trivialise the proceedings.
He maintained that any grievances regarding Bester’s arrest or extradition remain a matter for the judiciary, insisting the committee focuses on delivering solutions rather than entertaining his claims.
Bester, widely known as the “Facebook rapist,” gained notoriety after escaping Mangaung Correctional Centre.
He was apprehended in Tanzania in 2023 alongside his partner and is currently awaiting trial on various charges.
READ NEXT: Deadly standoff ends with gunman killed after overpowering police
The post MPs slam ‘frivolous’ bid by Thabo Bester to address parliament appeared first on KAYA 959.
