Latest news with #ShowmaxOriginal
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.'
IOL News
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
‘Untied' with Relebogile Mabotja: South African women share their powerful divorce journeys
Relebogile Mabotja is the host and associate producer of "Untied", a new Showmax Original. Picture: Supplied Award-winning presenter Relebogile Mabotja is stepping back in front of the camera as the host of a bold new talk show. The new Showmax Original 'Untied' sees Mabotja sit down with some of South Africa's most recognisable women who have been through a divorce. Businesswoman Norma Mngoma, whose high-profile marriage and public fallout shocked the country, is the first guest. Mngoma was previously married to former Minister of Finance Malusi Gigaba and their split was headline-making. The emotional resonance deepens as each episode spotlights stories from public figures including reality stars Beverly Steyn and Nonku Williams, celebrated actresses Dawn Thandeka King, Mona Monyane, and Palesa Madisakwane, iconic media personality Zandi Nhlapo, and model and social entrepreneur, Sonia Booth.
News24
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
‘I've only been aroused twice on the show' – BU Mthembu on Adulting S3
Since Big Brother Mzansi, Luthando BU Mthembu has made a name for himself playing the charming Vuyani in the Showmax Original series Adulting. BU has also established as a rapper who goes by the stage name Ludo, with his music featured on the show. As an actor, he's also been on chart-topping shows like Ayeye: Stripped and Redemption. On Adulting, we've seen him go from being in his toyboy era to making an effort to turn his life around and finally, he does. In the third season now, Vuyani (his character) steps into his role as a club owner. The new season raises the stakes as the gents confront their deepest fears and desires while striving to keep their friendship intact. Reflecting on the previous season, BU says, 'Vuyani's vice lies in his love for women. Despite being a young, healthy, intelligent, and well-grounded individual, he still struggles with unemployment. What stands out about him is his ability to leverage his strengths to navigate life and achieve his goals. Without giving too much away, I can say he steps up significantly this season. I'll leave it there to avoid spoilers!' Read more | 'I'm an actor telling a story' – Mapaseka Koetle on playing Naledi on steamy Adulting S3 With how steamy and controversial the show has been, there have been scenes that will not only live rent-free in people's minds but will always have tongues wagging. One of these has been Vuyani frog jumping with Thembi Seete's character. BU shares that this particular scene has made people believe that he'd do that in real life. 'I think it's a matter of education. When you portray a character really well, people can become so convinced that they can't see beyond what they're watching. For instance, they've seen my character do a frog jump with Thembi Seete's character, and now they think that's who I am. That's the scary part for us as actors - people tend to hold on to moments like that. But it's all part of the job. It just means I played the role really well and made it believable.' Still speaking on the scene, he says intimacy scenes require a lot of trust between co-actors. 'I believe it's important to understand people and recognise that everyone is vulnerable. When it comes to sex scenes, even I felt uncomfortable at first. I remember my very first sex scene was with Rosemary Zimu on Ayeye: Stripped. She guided me through that scene, and what I took away from that experience was a sense of ubuntu. 'In Adulting, we have intimacy coaches, which helps a lot. I've also observed Thembi Seete and tried to apply the skills I've gained through life to make the space as comfortable as possible. I approach these scenes with the intention of staying true to the purpose of the scene and contributing to what we're trying to create for the show,' he adds. Read more | Mpho turns a new leaf in Adulting season 3, Thabiso Rammusi spills the beans Of all the intimate scenes he's had, BU admits that he's only been aroused twice throughout the show. 'The first time was the kiss at Konka, which is weird because it was just a kiss. The second time was during that scene [where I used my teeth to remove a g-string], though I didn't feel aroused while shooting it - only when I watched it. This is the edited version, so it's cleaner. Using my teeth was my idea, but I had to ask for permission.' This season though, we are in for a treat as BU also taps into the emotional side of his character. 'But I'm even more excited about my emotional scenes. I think we've seen everyone else show vulnerability, except for Vuyani and Mpho - though Mpho was going through a lot from the very beginning. This season, we'll get to see Vuyani shed a tear, and viewers will really feel what he's going through.' New episodes of the show drop every Saturday at 8pm.
