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by Thinus Ferreira
Riding the tide of the local true crime genre, M-Net and kykNET have added eye-popping documentaries to their Sunday night programming slates telling the story of the abducted Zephany Nurse found two decades later, and investigating the house of cards of diamond packets kingpin Louis Liebenberg.
This Sunday night at 20:00 on M-Net (DStv 101) the channel premieres Girl, Taken from directors Francois Verster and Simon Wood which won in the Best South African Documentary category at the Durban International Film Festival, telling the intricate and unbelievable story of the abducted-and-found Zephany Nurse.
The emotionally layered and filled with twists Girl, Taken explores how Zephany was abducted as a baby, raised as Miche Solomon, found almost two decades and how everyone coped since, in a story that caught the world's attention.
In Girl, Taken, Zephany speaks about her upbringing; the devastation
caused by her abduction coming to light; the dramatic criminal trial of the
mother who raised her; and why she chose to stay with the Solomon family, even
after learning that she had been abducted and given a new identity.
Zephany's biological parents, Celeste and Morne Nurse, are also included in the documentary and open up about the pain of losing their baby, the
joy of finding her again, and the torment of losing her a second time.
Girl, Taken follows the process of two broken families climbing the
difficult path towards forgiveness and wholeness.
With his detractors believing he belongs behind bars and investors in his scheme demanding the millions of rand they've invested which they now can't get access to, kykNET is screening the investigative news Afrikaans documentary special, Onthul: Skurk of Samaritaan?, also this Sunday night at 20:00.
Is the diamond trader Louis Liebenberg with alleged messages relayed from God to him from inside his shower a hero, cult leader or a classic pyramid scheme scammer?
Currently embroiled in a legal battle with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) because he has been accused of operating a ponzi scheme and of buying rough diamonds from illegal diamond diggers, kykNET is investigating the glitzy diamond tzar who owes many people millions of rand.
Louis Liebenberg is constantly hogging the newspaper headlines with issues around his diamond trading concept, Forever Diamonds and Gold (FDG),
which has managed to attract around 40 000 investors.
Some believe he's a scoundrel who
deserves to be in jail while some see him as a businessman who helps people
gain financial freedom. Nina
Swart is the director of this new doccie which forms part of a series of
investigative Onthul news documentaries produced by IdeaCandy.
According to kykNET Onthul:
Skurk of Samaritaan? takes an unflinching and incisive look at Louis Liebenberg's business practices, with Louis being asked directly and which he answers.
Various people,
including people who invested in his diamond business, for instance Dirk Lotriet, editor of
Die Waarheid Media, as well as the former Springbok Derick Hougaard sing his praises. Victims of his scheme also get the opportunity to tell their side of the story.
The documentary also investigates claims that Liebenberg is illegally digging for
diamonds in Namaqualand, as well as his ties to various ANC members.
Other experts who weigh in, are Pieter Steyn, senior journalist for Rapport newspaper; Dr Kosie de Villiers, business consultant affiliated to Stellenbosch
University; Prof. JP Smit from the department of philosophy at Stellenbosch
University, as well as the clinical psychologist Louis Awerbuck.
