Cape Town – Thabo Bester’s urgent application for access to a laptop was struck off the roll by the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Bester, a convicted rapist and murderer, represented himself and argued that he needed a laptop to prepare for his main case challenging the legality of his deportation from Tanzania.
“I am not able to self-represent myself due to lack of legal resources and I am not able to defend my main application,” said Bester.
The presiding judge refused his request, saying that Bester could access legal books but not electronic devices.
Watch the video below (Courtesy of SABC News)
Bester claimed he was being denied access to justice and couldn’t file court papers due to limited prison visits.
“And because of that I cannot file an application as I wish I cannot take any litigation facts as I wish at any point. I have to find third part to file an application, it makes it impossible for me in my current circumstances to have access to internet, it can be limited in the environment I’m in,” Bester said.
He added: “The evidence I require is online, the access to internet is a completely different. The resource can be a device, at this stage can be managed and controlled without security risk. They have two members outside my door 24 hours a day. They supervise everything I do, I exercise in a cage, I shower in a cage, there is nothing I can access without them being next to me.”
The judge, however, ruled that the application lacked urgency.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
