Serial killers and survivalists offer a host of thrills on South Africa’s small screen

THE two-part second instalment of Great African Crimes returned to the History Channel last week.

- DEBASHINE THANGEVELO

Hosted by true-crime author Mandy Wiener, the show explores historical crimes and their profound impact on communities.

In the first episode, which aired last Friday, South Africa's first unrecorded serial killer, who was linked to as many as nine separate murders in the early 1900s, was in the spotlight.

Pierre Basson, an insurance salesman, mirrored modern-day serial killer Rosemary Ndlovu, dealing in death through the sale of insurance premiums.

The second episode delves into the case of Maria Mouton, the sole white woman executed for murder in the Cape Colony during the 18th century. She was found guilty of murdering her husband with the assistance of two enslaved individuals, one of whom she was having an affair with.