Story of 1990s serial killer Moses Sithole set to make its debut on Showmax

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 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.”

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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 a 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 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.

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Howes — the storyteller

Howes was a nine-year-old during the time and says he remembers the atmosphere of the country at that moment.

“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,” he said.

The director, who has worked in film, commercials, and documentaries, says South Africa has a wealth of stories to tell across multiple genres. He adds that 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.”

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 aired on Showmax from Tuesday, 22 July.

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