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Thursday, January 22, 2026

GREAT AFRICAN CRIMES WITH MANDY WIENER

 


(Mandy Wiener. Pic supplied)

 

Please see below repeat times of this popular local documentary series on the History channel.

 

Synopsis:

Step into the shadowy corridors of history and uncover the stories of two local crimes that captivated their time. Great African Crimes with Mandy Wiener season 2 revisits the case of the only Huguenot woman put to death for murder in the Cape Colony during the 18th century, and looks at the notorious case of an ‘insurance killer’ in the early 1900s who is considered the country’s first documented serial killer. Mandy will delve deep into the past in each episode, visiting crime scenes, examining historical records, and unravelling the personalities behind these historic events. Through gripping storytelling, immersive historical re-creations, and thought-provoking analysis, Great African Crimes invites viewers to explore the intrigue and drama of historic crimes.

 

Saturday 24 Jan at 14h55

Pierre Basson - South Africa’s first unrecorded serial killer linked to as many as nine separate murders in the early 1900s. He was an insurance salesman who, like modern day serial killer Rosemary Ndlovu, exploited those closest to him.

 

 

Saturday 31 Jan at 14h55

Maria Mouton - The only white woman executed in the 18th century Cape Colony. She was found guilty of murdering her husband with the help of two enslaved people, one of whom she was having an affair with. The programme uncovers life and slavery at the time.