Pearl Thusi has bravely recounted a chilling encounter she had with Thabo Bester – the man widely known as the “Facebook Rapist” – back in 2011.
The actress and TV presenter shared her story in Netflix’s new docuseries Beauty and the Bester, which premiered on 12 September.
Bester, a convicted rapist, murderer, and fraudster, is currently facing trial over his dramatic prison escape in 2022.
Alongside his co-accused, Nandipha Magudumana, he also faces charges related to defrauding the public and violating multiple authorities.
The Moment That Shook Her
In the first episode of the series, Pearl Thusi revealed how she came face-to-face with Bester in June 2011.
The mother-of-one recounted receiving a Facebook invite from Bester to audition for a TV role in Sandton that promised R70,000 per month.
She accepted the invitation and went with him to the audition, driving in her own car.
But it quickly became clear that Bester had lured her under false pretences. In a terrifying turn, Bester pulled out a knife and threatened her life.
“My mind was racing, my adrenaline was pumping. I’d never felt so stupid.
I asked him, ‘Why are you doing this?’” Pearl recalled. Despite the danger, she convinced Bester to visit her pastor and even gave him a Bible.
While she declined to call the police at the time, she says he ultimately ended up in a police van.
“I had no clue what I was dealing with; he is a psychopath. I couldn’t have helped him,” Pearl admitted.
Reflecting on the incident, she expressed regret for not reporting it sooner, saying, “Maybe I could’ve gotten him locked up [sooner] and I could’ve saved someone’s life.”
The Murder of Nomfundo Tyhulu
Tragically, just three months after Pearl’s encounter with Bester, the convicted criminal murdered his girlfriend, Nomfundo Tyhulu, a part-time model.
In September 2011, Bester lured Nomfundo to Cape Town under the pretense of a professional photo shoot.
The couple had met months earlier at a car dealership where Nomfundo worked, shortly after Bester had been released from jail for fraud.
They stayed at the luxurious One & Only hotel and later the Roman Retreat B&B.
In the early hours of 21 September, after a heated argument over their relationship, Bester stabbed Nomfundo in the chest, tied her hands with a T-shirt, and demanded the password to her laptop, which he stole along with her cellphone.
Leaving her body at the B&B, Bester went on the run from police, using multiple aliases, cell phones, and Facebook accounts to evade capture.
He even infamously taunted authorities on social media with the message, “Catch me if you can.”
A Harrowing Legacy
Pearl Thusi’s account highlights the terrifying reality of encountering a criminal like Bester.
Her story, now shared with the world through Netflix, serves as both a warning and a testament to the courage it takes to survive such encounters.