Murder and Mayhem: South African True Crime

Welcome to Episode 53 of the official Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime podcast. Welcome back to Murder and Mayhem hosted by Bella Monsoon. Here's a little look into today's episode: In 2010, Leano Vergotine was convicted of a heinous crime. He served roughly twelve years of a fifteen-year sentence. He was released on parole. And within six months of walking free, he began targeting mo...

Welcome to Episode 53 of the official Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime podcast. About this episode: The headlines have been everywhere, but what exactly is the Madlanga Commission, why was it established and why has it captured the attention of South Africans? In this episode, I unpack the events that led to the commission, explain who the key players are, and explore the allegations,...

Welcome to Episode 52 of the official Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime podcast. About this episode: She told every mother who asked: "With over 2,000 babies delivered ... not one baby has ever been hurt." She was lying. And she had been lying for a very long time. This is the full story of Yolande Maritz Fouchee - owner of You and Me Midwife-led Maternity Care in Pretoria East, and th...

Welcome to Episode 51 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime. About this episode: In May 2026, a retired couple entered the Kruger National Park to celebrate a birthday. They followed every rule. They knew the park well. They never came home. This is the first murder of visitors in Kruger's 100-year history and the story behind it goes far deeper than the headlines. This is a story of tr...

Welcome to Episode 50 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime. About this episode: There are some cases that don’t just shock you. They stay with you. Not because of noise or outrage, but because they force you to confront something deeply uncomfortable about responsibility, protection, and the fragility of life. Today’s case is one of those. It involves a newborn baby who was only eight...

Welcome to Episode 49 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime. About this episode: This episode is about the Deveney Nel case, the story about a 16-year-old girl who went to school one morning and never came home. What followed would shatter a small community and raise deeply uncomfortable questions about safety, warning signs, accountability, and the systems we rely on to protect young p...

Welcome to the Episode 48 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime.   About the episode: Imagine being so desperate to provide for your family and then being offered the opportunity you’ve been waiting for from someone who you know; someone who you should be able to trust.    Imagine embarking on a journey to start this chapter only to have those moments be your last and to never see the o...

Welcome to the Episode 47 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime.   About the episode: Imagine your life is just beginning, you have big plans for the future and a spirit yearning for adventure. Only to have it all stolen in the blink of an eye. In the coastal city of Durban in Kwa-Zulu Natal, a grim tale of tragedy unfolded in January of 2018. A 20 year old woman with her whole life ahe...

Welcome to the Episode 46 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime.   About the episode: Klawer- a quiet town along South Africa’s West Coast, where life moves at a slow, familiar pace. A town known for its rooibos, its grapes and its honey. But in February 2022, a horrifying crime shattered that silence. A 13-year-old boy vanished, last seen running for his life.   What happened next sent...

Welcome to the Episode 45 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime.   About the episode: Just a few days before she would turn 21, a young girl with everything ahead of her would have her life stolen when what should have been a simple errand turned into a nightmare.    For months prior to her demise, little did she know that she was being watched, being obsessed over- her existence the ve...

Welcome to the Episode 44 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime.   About the episode: 2019 was a year with cases of sheer violence towards women that shocked the South African nation. From the brutal murder of Uyinene in a post office to the mutilation of Lynette Volschenk in her own apartment- each case highlighted the disturbing prevalence of GBV in the country. In the midst of all of...

Welcome to the Episode 43 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime.   About the episode: On the 12th of June 2023, a 57 year old woman disappeared without a trace in Bethelsdorp. She had last been seen around 10am when she left her home that morning. Little did anyone know that the reason for her disappearance was due to a danger that lurked within her safe space; the very walls she called...

Welcome to the Episode 42 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime.   About the episode: In a home in Pelikan Park, a young girl has dinner with her family- laughing and happily existing in the humble, warm space they all called home. Unbeknownst to her, just a few doors away a man was watching her…observing her every movement- a dark plan brewing in his mind. When the perfect moment came,...

Welcome to the Episode 41 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime. About the episode: “I am a charming psychopath and grateful to be a clever serial killer”.   These are the shocking words of not only an aspiring crime writer but a cold blooded murderer. The crime he committed sent shockwaves through the nation for its brutal nature. An innocent woman his victim, none the wiser to the dar...

Welcome to the Episode 40 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime. About the episode: A picturesque town concealing a seedy underbelly. A seemingly perfect husband hiding dark secrets and desires. Innocent women with their lives stolen from them by a cruel and callous perpetrator. And an investigation and case that garners an outcry from both locals and internationals alike. A trial that...

Welcome to the Episode 39 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime. About the episode: A tale that although shocking has been all too often heard before. Caregivers who not only abuse their roles but fail to live up to them too. A little girl left to fend for herself. A system and society that failed her. 2 years old with an entire future ahead of her. 2 years old and dependent on those sh...

Welcome to the Episode 38 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime. About the episode: About the episode: It is said that no one can love you, like a mother can. That blood is thicker than water and that family is more important than anything else. What happens though when a mother is pushed to breaking point? What could drive her to do the unthinkable? And what happens after? In 2007, in...

Welcome to the Episode 37 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime. About the episode: From the outside, they seemed to be the perfect family- a doting father and a seemingly caring mother with three happy little girls all living in suburban bliss. But the disturbing truth lay just beyond the surface. Behind the smiling framed photographs on the walls, a sinister darkness was brewing and b...

Welcome to the Episode 36 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime. About the episode: A happy, smiling little girl runs up to her grandfather as he returns from work. Her eyes are just as bright and beautiful as those of the woman who brought her into this world. But every day, the faces of both mother and daughter are slowly fading from the memories of those who love and miss them so dea...

Welcome to the Episode 35 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime. About the episode: Imagine being killed for simply living your truth? A talented footballer and a successful woman who captured the hearts of everyone who knew her and paved the way for many others in her community. More than just an athlete or activist though, she was a beacon of hope for the LGBTQI community in South Africa...

Welcome to the Episode 34 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime. About the episode: Described as the worst massacre Cape Town and the country had ever experienced, in 2003, 9 innocent men lost their lives in a brutal and heart wrenching manner. The police would arrive at the unsuspecting Seapoint property to find not only the radio blasting the lyrics…   Life is too short to have sorrow. Yo...

Welcome to the Episode 33 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime. About the episode: An ongoing case that has not only gripped the nation but led to so many more questions. This is a case that when I say you won’t believe it, trust me, you won’t believe it. I delved into it briefly on my Tik Tok account weeks ago and that initial video- well, it kinda went viral. And so, I’m here to give you...

Welcome to the Episode 32 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime. About the episode: After years of hard work, sacrifices and dedication- one young woman was on the path to making all of her dreams come true. A new job, an apartment of her own and her very first car were all achievements that she was so proud of. A man, so close to her, so loved by her, was watching her succeed during this t...

Welcome to the Episode 31 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime. About the episode: On a cold winter’s evening on the 3rd of August 2019- a young woman’s life and the lives of those who loved her would forever be changed. Although the supposed culprit would be arrested within days, it would be years until a verdict and some kind of conclusion to the case would be reached. But 4 years later,...

Welcome to the Episode 30 of Murder & Mayhem: South African True Crime. About the episode: A case from 2010 that never quite got the attention it deserved and a girl whose life was cut short before it even began. Even with the countless twists and turns- 13 years on- it seems today that justice will never be served. There are so many questions that are still up in the air. Was there something that...