Treaties, protocols and old alliances dusted off for next steps in Thabo Bester saga

The next instalment of the Thabo Bester prison escape saga is eagerly awaited as South African authorities work on getting him and his partner, Dr Nandipha Magudumana, back on South African soil after they were traced to Tanzania. 

But it is unlikely to be as fast as hoped as international protocols and treaties that protect the countries' sovereignty and the couple's human rights are observed.

The South African government is likely to be under extreme pressure to avoid three strikes in a row as they work on bringing Bester and Magudumana back while mopping up alleged accomplices to the escape.