Head of the criminology department at the University of Johannesburg, Professor Jaco Barkhuizen says he picked up an element of arrogance from convicted killer and rapist Thabo Bester on Friday.

Bester appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court where his lawyers said their client had not eaten anything since he returned to South Africa from Tanzania on Thursday morning. They said this was because he feared being poisoned.

The fugitive and his partner, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, were captured in Tanzania last Friday.

Barkhuizen says Bester’s attitude is problematic: “You could see, it’s still the same person, an air of arrogance from him. The way he instructed his lawyer as well shows that he’s still this manipulative, very cunning person. I mean, to say that at the moment he would not ask for bail, when I heard that I laughed out loud.”

Bester’s case has been postponed to the 16th of next month. The charges against him include escaping from lawful custody, defeating the ends of justice, violating a body and fraud.

On Friday Bester wanted to address the court to raise safety concerns and wanted to be furnished with extradition documents on how he was brought back to South Africa.

But the magistrate said the concerns should be raised with the relevant institutions.

Four other accused in the matter, including Magudumana will be back in court on Monday.

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