Coming Up On Carte Blanche – 11 August 2024

“Is it just me, or have wild animals become the latest “must-have” in our country’s ubiquitous lifestyle estates? Once content with a clubhouse and gym, no high-end gated community can now consider itself worthy of the name without a herd or two of impala or zebra. To each their own, I suppose. But Bali-inspired architecture and infinity pools hardly lend themselves to the less glamorous aspects of conservation like having to shoot half a dozen antelope to keep numbers down.” – John Webb, Executive Producer

A Kudu on My Stoep

It’s an idyllic vision: a bushveld holiday town where human residents and wild animals live as neighbours. Marloth Park, bordering the Kruger National Park, was established in 1977 as an enclosed suburb made of large residential stands interspersed with parklands for grazing, with animals coming and going across the Crocodile River as they pleased. But nearly 50 years later, the border with the Kruger has been fenced off, the town is overpopulated and overgrazed, and mismanagement and infighting prevail. A culling programme was stopped in 2017 amidst concerns for residents’ safety. Today, no one can agree on a way to end the stalemate. Can the promised bushveld haven be salvaged?

Producer: Kate Barry | Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli

Global Health Hack

It happened without warning: a security breach at the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), the state pathology service which has become the backbone of the country’s healthcare services. In June this year, a major cyberattack targeted vulnerable points in the NHLS, denying it access to its own IT systems and infrastructure. The ransomware attack was so destructive that the organisation’s systems have remained inaccessible for over a month, denying 80% of South Africans access to their medical records. Around the country, thousands of surgeries have been cancelled as doctors scramble to access patient information and test results. But this isn’t the first security breach on an organisation providing a critical service: globally, similar cyberattacks on major hospitals in Europe and Africa are on the rise.

Producer: Liz Fish | Presenter: Erin Bates

Snotklap

In a packed bar, two men face each other across a small table. To the cheers of the crowd, one lines up… then slaps his opponent with all his might across the cheek. No, this is not a bar fight. It’s professional slap fighting and it’s experiencing a massive surge in popularity. Emerging as a viral phenomenon in Russia in 2019, slap fighting is attracting former wrestlers and boxers like South African heavyweight Danie “Pitbull” van Heerden. But it’s as controversial as it is compelling. Repeated blows to the head can cause concussion, traumatic brain injury and long-term neurological issues. Fans claim slap fighting is safer than many combat sports, but critics say it’s unavoidably risky – and question whether it can be considered a sport at all.

Producer: Carol Albertyn Christie | Presenter: Lourensa Eckard

CARTE BLANCHE: THE PODCAST

Mayoral Misery

The youth are getting thrifty – how Gen Z and Millennials are reclaiming their financial power. Then, Kabelo Gwamanda must go! But is he the only one to blame for Joburg’s ruin? Later, an illegal military training camp in Mpumalanga. How did government miss it? And gold, silver and bronze – our Olympic athletes are bringing home the medals. But first, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (known as AGOA) is once again topping the agenda as the United States is seemingly warming to the idea of keeping South Africa around as a trade partner. Meanwhile, the Minister of Trade and Industry and his Deputy are confident our membership will be renewed. But there’s still a lot that could happen between now and September next year.

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PICKS OF THE WEEK

Aboriginal Nation

It’s a story about a self-professed Empress leading her people to a promised land encompassing all of South Africa and even parts of Antarctica. At its centre is a claim that millions will soon be paid to claimants from a secret trust set aside for the descendants of the Khoi and San – just by buying an ID card online. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Instead, it seems self-styled Aboriginal leaders are persuading poor people to hand over their hard-earned cash in exchange for empty promises.

Full Story

MK Party: Fact or Fiction

On the face of it, he’s just a flamboyant character accustomed to a flashy lifestyle and luxury vehicles. But Lennox Ntsodo, a former high-placed member of uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party), insists he’s a credible whistleblower with shocking allegations about the fledgling movement. As South Africa approaches an unpredictable and possibly volatile election, Carte Blanche examines the evidence for allegations that one of the country’s newest parties committed electoral fraud.

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Extortion City

On the surface, Randolf Jorberg – with his bright yellow t-shirt, sunglasses and newly dyed yellow beard – is an eccentric character. But on the streets of Cape Town, he’s a well-known business owner who used to run one of the best beer houses on Long Street. In recent years, though, Randolf has been forced to retreat from the spotlight as protection rackets targeting small businesses have flourished. Cape Town has become the extortion epicentre, with violent criminal syndicates operating across the city. In 2015, Randolf refused to pay protection money. Weeks later, his doorman was assassinated. He says it was a clear message: pay up or suffer the consequences. Alleged underworld kingpins are currently on trial in the Western Cape High Court, but that hasn’t stopped their henchmen from wreaking havoc. Carte Blanche examines the underbelly of the Western Cape’s deadly extortion rackets.

Full Story (age restricted)

EXTRA: Extortion City with Randolf Jorberg

It was a murder that outraged regulars at a popular night spot on Cape Town’s Long Street; a senseless killing meant as a message for the owner and a reminder of the violence of those demanding protection money. In 2015, former Beerhouse owner, Randolf Jorberg, paid his last respects to a trusted doorman and finally gave in to the demands of the extortionists. But after living with a deep sense of injustice, he sat down with Govan Whittles to finally give a detailed account of what led to his doorman’s death, and how Cape Town’s underworld continues to operate.

Full Interview

Black Mambas

South Africa remains a global hotspot for the illicit rhino horn trade. It’s a violent and remorseless underworld. No wonder then that, when most of us think of anti-poaching units, we picture armed men ready for combat. But just outside the town of Hoedspruit, we meet a group of rangers with a very different approach. They’re called the Black Mambas and they’re the world’s first all-female anti-poaching unit. Trained to be the eyes and ears of the bush, the Mambas have reduced poaching incursions by 62% in the Greater Kruger where they operate. Remarkably, they’ve been able to achieve that without a single shot fired. We meet the inspiring group of women taking on the dangers of the bush unarmed.