South Africa
The Station Strangler documentary revisits the serial murders that terrorised Cape Town’s Cape Flats between the late 1980s and mid-1990s, when 21 boys and one adult were killed. As South Africa approached democracy, Mitchells Plain lived in fear while justice remained elusive. The film examines the 2023 parole release of Norman Simons, convicted of only one murder, and the anger it reignited. Through interviews with victims’ families, detectives and profiler Micki Pistorius, the documentary explores trauma, memory and unresolved justice.
On 13 October 2021, South Africa was shaken by the news of Reverend Liezel de Jager, beloved pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church South Coast in Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal, who was murdered in the driveway of the parsonage. The strange events that followed in the days and years afterward, Liezel’s parents’ relentless fight for justice, and the arrest of her husband, who dies under mysterious circumstances in the hospital, are laid bare in this account. The murder remains unsolved.
Anena Burger has been a journalist for 15 years and has been Netwerk24’s senior journalist in the Northern Cape since 2020. She has covered stories such as the sensational Pofadder murder of Leon Brits, the Hartswater triple farm murders, the Kalahari tragedy, and many others that have shaken the country over the past few years.
For eight years, the Station Strangler terrorised the Cape Flats as 22 young boys disappeared without a trace from 1986 to 1994. Some bodies were found buried in dunes with their hands tied behind their backs, but most of the murders remain unsolved. A primary school teacher was convicted of one murder, leaving many unanswered questions. Seasoned journalist and author Julian Jansen follows the trail of the Station Strangler, investigating this dark mystery that continues to haunt families and communities.
Julian Jansen is an award-winning investigative journalist who worked as a reporter for Rapport for 18 years and currently freelances for Netwerk24and Kuier. He is the author of the bestselling books Die De Zalze-moorde, Moord op Stellenbosch, and Die moord op Deveney Nel.
Nicole Engelbrecht discusses her true crime books Klip Koud and Bare Bones, in which she investigates some of South Africa’s most disturbing criminal cases. Through careful research and a compassionate lens, she tells the stories behind high-profile murders, disappearances, and unresolved investigations. In this conversation, Engelbrecht explores the real people, investigations, and unanswered questions behind these cases. It offers a gripping and thought-provoking look at the darker side of society and the ongoing search for truth and justice.
Nicole Engelbrecht started the podcast True Crime South Africa in 2019. It is one of the most popular podcasts in South Africa and has received several awards. Her books include Samurai Sword Murder – The Morne Harmse Story, Sizzlers – The Hate Crime That Tore Sea Point Apart, and Killer Stories, on which she was a co-author.
