'I need laptop for case

Judge not swayed, saying you will get law books, but not a laptop’.

- Vhahangwele Nemakonde

Convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester has asked the High Court in Pretoria to have access to a laptop to prepare for his deportation case, but it was struck from the roll due to a lack of urgency.

Earlier in the day, the judge told Bester, dubbed the Facebook rapist after a spate of robberies, rape and murders, she would not grant him access to a laptop, as he insisted it was his constitutional right to have one.

"You will get law books, they will give you access to all the information you need, but not a laptop. You don't have a constitutional right to a laptop. Show me in the constitution where it says you have the right to access to a laptop," said the judge.

"Students in prison have access to laptops," argued Bester.

"Are you a student? I'm giving you access to law books and all the material you need, it will just not be electronic." Bester said it was irrelevant and discriminative to insist only students are privileged to have access to laptops.