Jessica Chambers: An ID Murder Mystery
Channel: Investigation Discovery (DStv 171 / StarSat 223)
TX Time: 21h00
Genre: True Crime, Documentary, Mystery
When firefighters are called to the scene of a vehicle blazing on a rural road in Courtland, Mississippi on 6 December, 2014, they discover severely burned 19-year-old Jessica Chambers.
Despite being badly injured, the young woman manages to whisper a potential suspect's name.
After Jessica's gruesome death, the investigation into her brutal murder begins to tear at the seams of the small town when a clear racial divide appears in and out of the courtroom.
One shocking mistrial leads to another and it seems Jessica's accused killer might walk free, until a fateful crime one state over brings hope that this tragic case might be closed.
Top Science Stories of 2020
Channel: Curiosity Channel (DStv 185)
TX Time: 19h00
Genre: Documentary, Science, Special
2020 has been a year filled with astonishing discoveries on Earth and beyond.
We take a look back at the many fascinating science stories, from the unprecedented Coronavirus and the search for a vaccine to the lift off and landing of the Dragon X Space Shuttle.
Also covered are the wildfires in Australia, the mass bleaching events at the Great Barrier Reef and so many more.
Waterhole: Africa's Animal Oasis
Channel: BBC Earth (DStv 184)
TX Time: 16h00
Genre: Wildlife, Documentary Series
Waterholes are vital to the African ecosystem; bustling oases where elephants, lions, leopards and hundreds of other species meet and compete for water.
But little is known about how they support so much life.
Now, the BBC Studios Natural History Unit is working with Mwiba Wildlife Reserve in Tanzania to build the world's first waterhole with a built-in specialist camera rig.
With half-submerged and weather-proofed remote cameras, Chris Packham and biologist Ella Al-Shamahi aim to uncover the complex dynamics of the waterhole for the very first time.
They're filming across three dramatic periods - the middle of the dry season; the hottest time of year; and the height of the first rains - to gain unique insights into the lives of some of Africa's most iconic animals.
As warthogs, giraffes, monkeys and big cats all jostle for position at the new waterhole, Chris and Ella uncover the increasingly important role of water in Africa as its wildlife faces the growing impact of climate change.
In this first episode, the waterhole is built in the middle of an open patch of savannah, to enable wildlife to approach it from all directions.
The team excavate 100 tonnes of soil and lay eight kilometres of fibre optic cable and piping.
Sixty thousand litres of sustainable groundwater are pumped in - filling two pools, giving more water edges for thirsty animals to access.
At the beginning of the dry season the new waterhole is open for business, and the cameras are rolling.
As demand for fresh water builds, the team want to find out which animals will come, if they share, and how many species use this precious new water source.
Within the first hour warthogs and elephants discover this new oasis, and soon a cast of wild animal characters keep coming back.
Ella uncovers the surprising schedule for a day at the waterhole and Chris uses the state-of-the-art thermal cameras to reveal how different species thermoregulate to survive.
With each day the landscape becomes drier, and soon tensions are rising between the two biggest drinkers - elephants and Cape buffalo.
Is there enough room at the waterhole for these two African giants?
While more animals gather at the waterhole, wildlife cameraman Bob Poole is looking into the effect it is having on the wider landscape, including the resident big cat population.
Predators do not need to drink water regularly, but it is thought they use waterholes as hunting grounds during the dry season.
As leopard and lion close in the waterhole becomes a dangerous place to be, and the wild community of regular drinkers must risk life and death with each visit.
The Essentials
Channel: SABC3
TX Time: 19h30
Genre: Documentary, Factual
This documentary follows the lockdown experiences of ordinary South Africans.
The Coronavirus pandemic has had devastating effects on humanity across the globe but it didn't stop people from standing up and uniting against an invisible enemy.
Follow filmmaker Dirk Smit's journey as he discovers glimmers of hope, creativity and resilience in the South African people.