Great documentary, but where is the love story promised in 'Beauty and the Bester'?

I took umbrage with “Beauty and the Bester” not because of the production value or compelling content, which it has, but for the misleading nature of the title, trailer and docuseries as a whole.

After all that bedlam over Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magudumana's last-minute court interdict to stop the three-part documentary from airing on Netflix, which failed, it debuted on the streaming platform. 

Naturally, the public's fascination with this real-life Bonnie-and-Clyde true crime saga propelled it to the forefront as the top trending show on the streaming platform.

By now, South Africans are au fait with the background of Bester faking his death at Mangaung Prison in Bloemfontein on May 3, 2022. On March 17, 2023, the “Facebook rapist” was spotted shopping with Magudumana in Sandton City and subsequently went on the run. 

On April 8, 2023, Bester and Magudumana were arrested by Tanzanian authorities in Arusha, Tanzania, and deported to South Africa. 

Of course, the story created such a buzz in South Africa as curious viewers followed all the breaking news headlines and social media posts.

Mzansi watched in suspended belief as the incredulous nature of their relationship played out like a Hollywood movie. The indelible moment in court when Magudumana gazed at Bester with such unwavering, giddy affection became a significant talking point that should not be overlooked.

Perhaps that is what sparked the idea for this documentary, which, in providing a background to the jailbreak and the events that transpired until Bester’s rearrest, was perhaps not too dissimilar to Showmax’s controversial “Tracking Thabo Bester” four-part documentary.

Honestly, I started watching this docuseries with an open mind, driven by a simple question: what compels a brilliant, accomplished businesswoman - a doctor, no less - to jeopardise everything she's built?

Was it love, greed, or simply indefensible naivete? The documentary seemed to offer the answers.

It features interviews with Judge Edwin Cameron, journalists, actress and DJ Pearl Thusi, media personality Penny Lebyane, reality TV star Happy Simelane and Lunga Ndwandwa (Magudumana’s friend and brand manager), and family members, among others.

While the media interviews provided great insights on investigating Bester and, in Baaitjies' case, meeting him before he broke out of maximum security prison, Thusi and Simelane provided first-hand accounts of dodging a bullet, so to speak, with their interactions with Bester. 

Lebyane is almost like a default narrator-cum-commentator. 

I do love her one line, though,  “If love is blind, was a person, it would be Dr Nandipha”. Talk about being spot on.

What did I take away from this docuseries? Bester, by his own admission in an archived on-camera interview, is ruthless and not to be messed with. His struggles with anger and jealousy tragically led to the murder of his former girlfriend, Nomfundo Tiyhulu.

His hunger for fame and riches, coupled with his silver-tongued personality, saw him easily hoodwink unsuspecting individuals. 

Magudumana and Bester met while studying. However, there is no record of him doing so. 

She walked away from her marriage and two little girls to pursue a soft life, marked by her social media posts with high-profile figures, lavish soirees and her guest appearance as the go-to aesthetics doctor on “Podcast and Chill with MacG”.

Going by Ndwandwa's observations of how her behaviour changed, especially when the story was grabbing headlines, there was chemistry between Bester and Magudumana. But he was always about the business, first and foremost.

At the same time, threatening voice notes alluded to it being a destructive and unhealthy relationship. 

Her parents and brother, however, paint a picture of innocence, believing she is not truly capable of the accusations made against her.

At the end of the day, her complicity in his escape is clear. 

That Magudumana still stands by Bester, as evidenced by their trying to halt the documentary from airing, speaks volumes about the bond they share. 

Yes, to many, she, based on her actions, is a fool for love. But without her spilling the tea on their relationship, this documentary, as wonderfully executed as it is, doesn’t hold much water, as it is built around speculation and third-party observations. 

If anything, this documentary, piggybacking on the public’s sentiments and interest, is more of a recount of events and a red flag on a toxic relationship. Don't expect more!

Rating: *** solid and enjoyable, though not groundbreaking.

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“Tracking Thabo Bester”

When this true-crime documentary was released on Showmax on March 15, 2024, South Africans were thrilled. They wanted all the nitty-gritty details since “GroundUp” first broke the news that the convicted murderer and rapist did not burn to death in Cell 35 after all, and was instead shopping at Woolworths in Sandton City. 

Thabo Bester, who was the most searched person in South Africa on Google in 2023, and his co-accused, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, placed fourth, had the country captivated by their story. 

The four-part release masterfully unpacked all the scandalous details around his history, crimes and jailbreak.