Telling his story or managing his image? Thabo Bester makes social media comeback

Looking to tell his side of the story or trying to manage his image outside prison?

Questions are cropping up as convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester makes a return to the digital space — this time using his real name. 

Bester earned the nickname “Facebook Rapist” for luring women through the social media network with promises of modelling contracts and then raping them.

He has also reportedly had up to 13 aliases, including Thomas Bester, Tom Bester and Tom Motsepe, which were used in his scams over the years.

On Monday a statement was issued by a public relations company in Bester's urgent application for access to electronic devices and material to help him prepare for a case related to his arrest and return from Tanzania last year.

The statement contained a slew of allegations relating to his rape and murder case as well as the reasons for filing the now failed application in the Pretoria high court.

It ends with a reference to the “digital platforms managed with his consent” which include a website and social media pages on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

A visit to the site, titled “Thabo Bester”, shows a mostly white layout with gold and black lettering and features various categories.

These include projects in the pipeline, a prayer room, news updates and details on why the website was established.

The social media pages use the “True North with Thabo” handle and contain links to articles and interviews by his legal team this past week as well as information on the recent court case. The posts went up on August 15 while the website appears to have been established in June.

This was confirmed by the company managing Bester's platforms and public image in an interview with TimesLIVE Premium. The firm, which describes itself as a strategic marketing company, did not want to be named or have details of its personnel revealed.

A spokesperson confirmed they were approached by Bester's legal team between June and July this year. 

“We were roped in by the legal team to assist him to tell his story, which has not been heard. All that is out there according to him are narratives being pushed by the media and, possibly, a government agenda, which doesn't favour him or continues to propel this perception of him being one of the most, if not the most, dangerous men,” the spokesperson said.

The firm said they helped revamp the website, which had already been established when they came on board, and set up his social media pages.

The company has also been charged with handling communication around his numerous court appearances as well as information Bester wants to share. It would address his initial court case 13 years ago as well as the controversy about his identity.

“It's anything and everything related to him. It's the side people don't know that we will try to put out there. The unheard side and the side out there, because it is my view and my understanding from the brief I got that there are inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the narrative that has been put out.

“So we will attempt to shed light on those inconsistencies and address them,” the spokesperson said.

The company also spoke about some of the projects Bester is apparently working on. These include a “book he's busy with that will centre on his childhood” and a documentary and movie/series listed on the website but containing no details.

Commenting on taking on Bester as a client, given the controversy around him, the company said it “was not necessarily fazed about the client brought to the fore”.

Everything he does is about impression management. He will try to shape his image to his advantage, whether it's his image in the [public] eye, snagging new unsuspecting victim(s) to support him because they believe his projected image or to sway the court

—  Prof Gerard Labuschagne

“We wanted to understand what he is trying to achieve as an individual and [whether] this falls in the scope of our values and principles as a business entity. We [also] did our own research,” the spokesperson said.

While the platforms are yet to cause a stir online, it seems to raise questions about the possible motivations for the ambitious undertaking.

Prof Gerard Labuschagne, who interviewed Bester in 2011 before his sentencing for raping two women and murdering his girlfriend Nomfundo Tyhulu, weighed in on this and called Bester the “consummate con man”.

In August 2012, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for Tyhulu's murder after he stabbed her in a Cape Town bed and breakfast.

At the time of his conviction, the Sunday Times reported he had also conned two airline charter companies into providing flights to Cape Town worth more than R500,000 — which he never paid for — for himself and others.

“Everything he does is about impression management. He will try to shape his image to his advantage, whether it's his image in the [public] eye, snagging some new unsuspecting victim(s) to support him because they believe his projected image or to sway the court.

“He is limited in what he can do from prison so I am not surprised he would try a public relations specialist to manage his image outside prison. Bester has nothing to lose by challenging everything.”

Labuschagne noted that with the life sentence still hanging over his head, his chances of parole reduced by his escape from Mangaung prison in 2022 and the possible sentence he faces for the fresh charges against him, “every court appearance is an opportunity to leave the prison, get attention due to the media and maybe, if he is successful in some of his attempts, [it will be] a win”.

“While it is unlikely this will sway the court, Bester is trying to appeal to members of the public who may support him,” he noted.