Latest news with #Sithole
Eyewitness News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Eyewitness News
New docuseries revisits Moses Sithole's reign of terror amid South Africa's ongoing GBV crisis
Thando Ngeno 23 July 2025 | 9:07 Serial killer Television (TV) Moses Sithole Moses Sithole's name is perhaps one the most chilling in South Africa's history. JOHANNESBURG - 1994 was a year that marked a new beginning for South Africa. With the fall of Apartheid, the nation was ready to breathe again and heal after living through the atrocities. Little did the country know that it would be plunged into another form of darkness, not an event, but rather a man who weaponised trust and poverty to prey on the most vulnerable. Moses Sithole's name is perhaps one of the most chilling in South Africa's history. He murdered more than 30 women, many of them young and desperate for employment. With a calm voice and quiet demeanour, he posed as a recruiter offering jobs- but this was a trap. His crimes were not just isolated acts of brutality- but the symptoms of a broader, deeply entrenched culture of misogyny and societal inequality. Sithole's victims were not just his victims alone; they were victimised by a system that repeatedly failed to protect them. Now, nearly three decades later, A new three-part documentary series, detailing the life and crimes of the man dubbed the ABC killer, premiered on Showmax on 22 July- it explores various themes, but one that is perhaps the most chilling is that of gender based violence. South Africa is a country that has been grappling with GBV for many years- according to the most recent statistics, one woman is murdered every three hours- and thousands of rape cases are reported every single year (although experts believe the actual number is far higher due to underreporting). Director Jasyn Howes' docuseries doesn't just dwell on the past, but it asks urgent and uncomfortable questions of the present- what has South Africa done to protect women since the days of Moses Sithole? "It's interesting to note that 30 years ago, this was a very prevalent issue in our society, and 30 years later, it still is. So what has or has not changed? Is there a conversation that could be sparked by looking at this and looking at the vulnerability of women in our society and asking ourselves what we have really done to make them less vulnerable, because GBV stats in this country remain staggeringly high?" Howes said. The documentary-series which will be released in three bulk episodes, introduces us to what Howes has called "new heros"- he tracked down those closest to the story, including the police officers who worked tirelessly to bring Sithole to justice, as well as then-rookie journalist Tamsen de Beer- who was working the nightshift at The Star Newspaper when she received a call from Sithole. Sithole's first victim, Buyiswa Doris Swakamisa, also makes the series. She details how he threatened to kill her if she did not have sex with him. When she reported the crime to the police, she was ostracised by those closest to her; her husband even beat her up, perpetuating the same Gender Based Violence that she had just endured from a stranger. In the years that followed, many didn't believe her and even said she may have had a role to play in this situation. This series gave her a chance to vindicate herself. Howes said putting her in the documentary was a sober and conscious choice. "Buyiswa was surprised I'd found her. She was surprised that no one had ever wanted to speak to her before, and this is often the case. She gives such a detailed account of what happened to her on that day bearing in mind that this happened in 1989. When I first contacted her, she was reluctant, but she saw the opportunity to share her side of the story". Moses Sithole has cited what he termed Buyiswa's "false rape accusation" as motivation for his later crimes. Sithole's story- while told and re-told many times- is not just about a serial killer, but highlights South Africa's war on women. And while he was eventually sentenced to life in prison, stopping serial killers like him requires institutional reform and a dismantling of a system that enables such behaviours to continue.
Eyewitness News
14-07-2025
- Business
- Eyewitness News
A travel revolution that combines luxury, sustainability and rural upliftment
Jabulile Mbatha 14 July 2025 | 10:01 The first ever Glamping Expo at the Johannesburg Expo Centre. Photo: Supplied JOHANNESBURG - Entrepreneur and activist Gugu Sithole is using glamping as a force for good, creating eco-friendly stays in overlooked parts of South Africa while uplifting local communities. Sithole launched her glamping journey, Glamping Adventures, in 2019 after noticing that less than 5% of the country's population engaged in domestic tourism, largely due to high costs, limited access and the exclusion of rural communities from the tourism value chain. Glamping Adventures offers a combination of packages, one being a fully furnished mobile tent with a bed, carpet, side table and flowers among others. The tents are set up in different tourist destinations around the country. The second package allows travellers to choose a destination of their choice, such as at a resort, but have Glamping Adventures draft up an itinerary. 'I wanted to create a company that would get as many South Africans travelling their own backyard,' Sithole said. Her model emphasises working with rural communities, ensuring locals are not just observers but participants as guides, hosts, artisans, and entrepreneurs. 'Most people in these communities are spectators in tourism. I wanted them to be at the centre,' Sithole explained. Sithole said at its core, glamping was about eco-conscious travel, prioritising sustainable materials and low-impact structures such as geodesic domes, eco-pads and elevated tents which protect local biodiversity and preserve cultural heritage. 'We're taking less from the environment, preserving our flora, fauna, and cultural artefacts. Glamping is regenerative tourism; it gives back while letting travellers immerse themselves in South Africa's beauty.'She recently hosted the first-ever Glamping Expo at the Johannesburg Expo Centre in partnership with the Gauteng Tourism Authority and Southern African Tourism Services on 20- 21 June 2025. Sithole said this was important to have exhibitors across the country come together, 'once we are coordinated and a cohesive unit, then we're able to influence government in terms of helping us with making it easy for infrastructure development, for roads leading to the glamp stays'. The event attracted over 20 exhibitors such as Impi Canvas Tents, Canvas Republic, Picnic in a Bubble and Tlhari Travel. It brought together eco-resort developers, innovators, tour operators and destination marketers, among others. On display were glass domes, pyramid lodges, eco-cabins, alongside panel discussions by industry experts, workshops by finance specialists and an innovation competition for high school and university students on glamping ideas to pitch. One of the unique exhibitors was 'Picnic in a Bubble', offering transparent pop-up domes for a stylish like Tlhari Travel offered glamping-inclusive packages paired with unforgettable experiences from Kruger Shalati - Train on a Bridge, to low-cost, pitch-your-own glamping options for budget-conscious travellers. Sithole's mission took centre stage at the Expo, where pioneers in sustainable tourism came together to present a greener, more inclusive future for travel. 'It's about sustainable ways of travelling and taking less from the environment, using structures that are off-grid and using less electricity'.
The Citizen
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Story of 1990s serial killer Moses Sithole set to make its debut on Showmax
While serving a 2 410-year prison sentence, Sithole is currently studying law after completing a degree in theology. In just over a year, 1990s serial killer Moses Sithole murdered 38 people, sexually molested 40 and committed six robberies. These crimes were in broad daylight, while Sithole was sober and just a few months after Nelson Mandela had become South Africa's first democratically elected president. 'This was the biggest case of our history at the time,' says former detective Derrick Nosworthy in the trailer of the series on Sithole. 'I don't think we had ever had a case where there were so many people murdered by potentially one offender.' The abovementioned crimes are the ones for which Sithole was later convicted, and his story will be told in a three-part series on Showmax, directed by Jasyn Howes, who also directed another doccie of a Mzansi 1990s serial killer, Boetie Boer. 'It was a natural progression from my previous series, where I had met one of the principal characters in the story during my research phase on the last series,' Howes tells The Citizen. 'When I heard the story, I immediately knew I needed to tell this story, but it would need to wait. Often stories happen upon us, and I am very grateful that this one did.' ALSO READ: Lasizwe cuts ties with MultiChoice amid podcast payment dispute Telling the Sithole story Thirty years ago, then-rookie journalist Tamsen de Beer was working the night shift at The Star newspaper when she received a life-changing call from someone claiming to be South Africa's most prolific serial killer. Through repeated conversations, the two developed a disturbing rapport that bears resemblance to Stockholm Syndrome. 'It was like a journey I was on with him,' de Beer says in the trailer. 'We were bonded in a strange, ugly way. I was hoping he was okay all the time, which is absolutely crazy.' 'He was our Ted Bundy,' says Howes about Sithole, comparing him to the famed US serial killer, Bundy, who murdered dozens of young women and girls between 1974 and 1978. The ABC Killer is his second series in a row for Showmax about a 90s serial killer, the first Boetie Boer, which received a nomination at last year's South African Film and Television Awards for Best Documentary Series and Best Editor (Jaco Laubscher, who also cut The ABC Killer). For the new series, Howes tracked down many of those closest to the story, including de Beer and her night editor, Alameen Brendan Templeton, who admits in the trailer that he was worried his journalist 'could end up as one of his victims.' While serving a 2,410-year prison sentence, Sithole is currently studying law after completing a degree in theology. ALSO READ: Hey Neighbour Festival postponed as organisers negotiate new dates with artists Howes — the storyteller Howes was a nine-year-old during the time and says he remembers the atmosphere of the country at the time. 'I remember the long lines of people standing to vote, and I remember the social fabric of my classrooms beginning to change. It was an exciting time, and it felt like every day something new and interesting was happening,' said The director, who has worked in film, commercials, and documentaries, says South Africa has a wealth of stories to tell across multiple genres. Saying the country's landscape, history and varied cultural mix make South Africa a storytelling goldmine. 'It excites me that our local platforms are providing more and more opportunities to tell local stories, and I think it is only a matter of time before international audiences start to see our content as viable viewing options,' said Howes. Howes says he's always hands-on with his projects, thanks to his background in writing, directing, cinematography, and editing. 'So I apply all of those skills in the projects I create, and it's very important for me to have a meaningful handle on the research, interviewing the story stakeholders and then figuring out how I want to visually tell the story. 'The first longer form documentary I made, I played all the creative roles bar illustration, and this gives me confidence in knowing that I can take on a project and feel confident to execute it,' he said. The ABC Killer will be available to binge on Showmax from Tuesday, 22 July. NOW READ: How the last episode of 'Shaka iLembe' made Nomzamo Mbatha feel like a 'new person'
IOL News
02-07-2025
- IOL News
Through the lens of horror: Jasyn Howes explores the gripping tale of 'The ABC Killer', Moses Sithole
Gifter Ngobenisen stars as Moses Sithole in 'The ABC Killer'. Image: Supplied As South Africa was celebrating the dawn of democracy in the mid-1990s, a serial killer was on the loose, determined to exact revenge on as many women as he could. Taking advantage of their newfound freedom of movement, Moses Sithole would prey on defenceless ladies who were in search of job opportunities in Gauteng at the time. Dubbed the 'ABC Killer' – a name derived from his modus operandi of targeting young, black women across vulnerable areas like Atteridgeville, Boksburg and Cleveland, he would appear charming and friendly, meeting them in public places with the promise of an employment prospect. As they walked together, Sithole would insist that he knows a short cut, leading the woman to walk into isolated velds where he would violently rape, rob and then murder them. In about just 18 months, he is believed to have killed 72 women, making Sithole one of the country's most prolific serial killers. He was eventually convicted of 38 murders, 40 rapes and six robberies, all which he committed in broad daylight between 1994 and 1995, and all while sober and not under any substances. Now, a new documentary series, aptly titled 'The ABC Killer', is set to chronicle Sithole's reign of terror, from his first initial murder, all the way up until his being sentenced to 2 410 years in prison. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The three-part series is the work of director Jasyn Howers, who brought viewers the award-winning 'Boetie Boer.' One of the most powerful aspects of the Showmax Original, which is set to premiere on July 22, is the first-hand accounts from Tamsen de Beer, a rookie journalist at "The Star" newspaper at the time, who received calls from Sithole regarding his murder spree. Her meticulous research involving diary entries as well as transcripts from her phone conversations with Sithole, and intimate letters to clinical psychologist Dr Giada Del Fabbro, are also showcased. 'The ABC Killer' also features an anonymous inmate's video interview with Sithole, as well as official archival footage of his 1995 police questioning. Howes, in a similar fashion to "Boetie Boer", employs extensive re-enactments filmed at real-world locations integral to Sithole's story, including "The Star" newspaper headquarters and the Pretoria High Court. Meanwhile, Gifter Ngobenisen portrays Sithole, Louise van der Merwe steps into the role of De Beer and Graham Hopkins rounds off the cast as Judge George Curlewis. Howes explained during an interview with 'Independent Media Lifestyle' that 'The ABC Killer' was a natural progression from 'Boetie Boer'. 'I was doing research for that documentary when I came across Tamsen living in Cape Town,' he explained. Tamsen de Beer in 'The ABC Killer'. Image: Supplied 'I wanted to feature her in 'Boetie Boer' but I realised that she had her own story to tell.' Howes said that after doing his research and spending time with De Beer, he was determined for her to be one of the key individuals guiding this narrative and that he wanted this story to be told in a way in which it has never been portrayed before. 'One thing that has always stuck with me with this story is that if the Rugby World Cup in 1995 was Mandela's opportunity to unite a country behind a common cause, this case was also the same opportunity for a a fairly newly established SA Police Service who came together across racial lines to prove that they were there to serve the people of this country and not the select few.' 'There were also very interesting things which were happening with the forensic science departments at that time, and this case put South Africa on the map in a big way.' Meanwhile, Howes also admitted that putting together a project of such magnitude was not without its challenges. 'When you are looking back 30 years, you have a tall task trying to find people from so long ago who you hope are still alive and that they still remember the details.' He added, 'I was of the assumption that it would be quite easy to get the dockets for the case files that were linked to all the different murders, but it wasn't actually that simple because the information was scattered all over the place .' 'It is not easy, but when you see the final product and hopefully audiences respond to it all well, it will make it all worth it.' Howes also believes that there are many things about 'The ABC Killer' which viewers will be able to relate to as well as be fascinated by. 'One of the things that surprised me the most was that Moses was brazen and his murders were not religiously motivated, he wasn't on drugs and he was a very cool and calculated human being who in this particular time in SA's history, was motivated largely by a distaste he had for women.' 'It is an interesting reflection of the dynamics between men and women at a point in South Africa's history where you had a largely black community who had not had freedom of movement prior to 94 and then all of a sudden, they were free to move to the big cities and to seek opportunities and Moses preyed.' 'I think they will also be interested in how the story plays out, how Moses was able to kill so many people in such a short amount of time and why he decided to engage with the most newspaper at the time to make his presence known and to almost laugh at the police and say that they didn't know what they were doing.' Howes concluded: 'This guy is unique, we never really had a killer like this in South Africa before then and since then.'
The Citizen
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
WATCH: ‘The world has lost a true gentleman' – Tributes pour in for actor Wiseman Sithole
Sithole's passing comes as he was preparing to act out Athol Fugard's play, titled 'Boesman and Lena'. South African actor Wiseman Sithole has died, prompting a flood of tributes to the 51-year-old, who many remember from his work on shows like Suidooster and Summertide. 'It is with the greatest sadness that we share the shattering news of Wiseman Sithole's sudden passing. We are honoured to have worked alongside this legend of an actor,' read a statement from his agency, Emma Ress Management (ERM), confirming his passing. ERM said it would communicate details concerning his funeral and memorial service, upon his family's instruction. ALSO READ: 'A profound loss': Fashion world mourns Sun Goddess Vanya Mangaliso 'RIP my brother' Fellow actor Lee-Ann van Rooi paid tribute to Sithole, reminiscing on their time working together and sharing a smoke during breaks. 'We finally got to work together for a whole week… had plans to work together later in the year…. a colleague and friend from the time when Stokvel and Fishy Fashions were 2.5 day shoot rotation swing sets. For TV2,' wrote Van Rooi. 'We minded our own business but now and again would enjoy a car park smoke and a story. I don't smoke anymore and this is the last of your story. R.I.P my brother.' ALSO READ: SA mourns death of playwright and author Athol Fugard Preparing for Boesman and Lena Sithole's passing comes as he, together with Van Rooi and others, was preparing to act out a play written by recently deceased Athol Fugard, titled Boesman and Lena. The story is centred on the struggles of a coloured couple, Boesman and Lena, as they are forced to wander from place to place, highlighting the human cost of apartheid's oppressive policies. In the upcoming play, Sithole was to depict Outa, an old Xhosa man in the story. 'In as much as it addresses some political challenges in South Africa, it is also about love between this couple, Boesman and Lena. I'm privileged to be one of the people who would do this version of the play, it is interesting we will be doing it in Afrikaans,' said Sithole recently in a video. Director of the play and actor Christo Davids said he was deeply saddened by Sithole's passing. 'I'm deeply saddened and shocked by this news. My deepest condolences to his entire family and those close to him,' said Davids. 'The world has lost a true gentleman. Committed to his craft with unwavering dedication to his fellow actors and colleagues. NOW READ: WATCH: Ladysmith Black Mambazo honoured with special award celebrating 65 years in music
