“Anecdotal evidence suggests I’m not alone in believing the e-hailing offering is in decline. Whether it’s a driver arriving at a pickup point in an unroadworthy car, taking a phone call while hurtling along a motorway, cancelling at the most inopportune times, or ignoring desperate pleas for the safe return of your reading glasses – it seems things aren’t as they once were in the taxiverse. And these relatively minor frustrations pale into insignificance against an even greater threat to life and limb.” – John Webb, Executive Producer
e-Hailing Hell
In February this year, an unregistered driver on the e-hailing platform inDrive was arrested after allegedly causing an accident that claimed the lives of three people in the Western Cape. The passenger and two pedestrians were killed when the driver sped through a red light and rolled the car. The company inDrive confirmed the ride was ordered through its platform but said the driver’s details did not match the driver registered on the system. It was a startling revelation that spurred an investigation into the rental and sale of e-hailing accounts. Carte Blanche has uncovered a thriving illicit economy in which people without proper documentation can buy their way onto e-hailing platforms and accounts are openly sold or rented on social media. For ordinary South Africans who rely on e-hailing for transport, it’s a game of Russian roulette: your driver may not be who you think he is – and the consequences are potentially deadly.
Producer: Catherine Rice | Presenter: Govan Whittles
Baobab Bomb
In Limpopo, thousands of indigenous trees – including baobabs and other protected species – are set to be the first casualties of a massive heavy industrial project that promises to bring jobs and economic growth to the province. It’s a scheme driven by the provincial government and Chinese developers who have touted it as “the most competitive energy metallurgy special zone in the world”. This is the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ), based on a plan to exploit the enormous undeveloped Soutpansberg coal deposits that extend north of Makhado (formerly Louis Trichardt). The MMSEZ envisages two developments: one in the northern Musina area focusing on light manufacturing and agro-processing; the other in the southern Makhado area focusing on coal mining, coal-fired power generation and steel manufacture. But for the developments to rise, thousands of trees will have to be removed, putting the area’s biodiversity and natural heritage under threat. Carte Blanche investigates.
Producer: Diana Lucas and Nick Chevallier | Presenter: Masa Kekana
A Marathon a Day
Charles Raw and Matthew Murray, two adventure-loving long-distance runners and conservation enthusiasts wanted to raise funds for a primary school in rural KwaZulu-Natal. So they hatched a plan that would see them running almost 42 kilometres a day for 35 consecutive days. It seemed simple enough: run from Port Alfred to Cape Town, a distance of over 1200 kilometres. But what they didn’t bargain on was the emotional and physical toll on their bodies. Pushing through the pain of blistered feet, strained Achilles tendons and inflamed quads – amplified by mental fatigue – the two friends powered on, driven by their determination to raise R2.3 million for the school. Carte Blanche joined the power duo on one of the most gruelling parts of their journey.
Producer: Julian Sun | Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli
Flight MH17: Who’s Responsible?
In July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, a passenger airliner flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, crashed and burned in eastern Ukraine. All 298 passengers and crew – most of whom were Dutch citizens – died in the tragedy. The international investigation that followed revealed that the plane had been shot down by a Russian-made surface-to-air missile. In 2022, a Dutch court found that the plane had been shot down by a Russian missile system and that Moscow had “overall control” of the separatist group responsible. Russia denied any involvement. A decade since the tragedy, the guilty – convicted in absentia – remain protected in Russia, while the families of the deceased continue to fight for justice. This special Al Jazeera report examines the last ten years of evidence and asks whether Russian President Vladimir Putin may have been involved in the incident.
Producer: Al Jazeera
NOW STREAMING
The Contraception Question
Occasionally, we cover stories likely to have consequences beyond South Africa. This is one of those occasions. With trust in pharmaceutical companies arguably at its lowest point – often fuelled by wild conspiracies – its vital people are properly informed before being prescribed any drugs. That principle lies at the heart of this investigation. Sphenoid wing meningiomas are invasive tumours that often grow undetected for years, causing life-altering symptoms such as dizziness, seizures, intense headaches and a loss of bodily functions. Here, they’re most commonly diagnosed in women. Alarmingly, new research has revealed a possible association between these invasive tumours and a well-known contraceptive often prescribed in South Africa and widely distributed in the developing world by philanthropic organisations. Get the full story now on DStv Stream.
Trapped in Myanmar
As is so often the case, it began with an offer hard to refuse for people desperate for work: An online post promising lucrative jobs in South East Asia for people who speak English. But as exciting as a life in a new country might sound, Myanmar is notorious as a haven for criminal syndicates – something the people who responded to the ad learnt the hard way. Months later, close to 40 South Africans are stranded in a military dictatorship, begging for assistance that’s been a long time coming. For the full story, get DStv Stream.
Aimee Barrett-Theron: Calling the Shots
It’s one of the most physically demanding sports on the planet and, for decades, has been dominated by men. But as rugby’s popularity spreads, it’s taking root among a new player base. In fact, women’s rugby is now growing faster than the men’s game. But it’s not just among the players that the face of the sport is changing: more and more women are becoming referees. And one of the most famous is our very own Aimee Barrett-Theron. A former player herself, we recently caught up with her to discuss the pleasure – and pain – of being a top-level official. For the full story, get DStv Stream.
NEWS & VIEWS
SANDF: Order to Withdraw
Following its extraordinary summit held on Thursday, SADC has decided to start the “phased withdrawal of SAMIDRC (Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo) troops from the DRC”. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is currently serving under SAMIDRC in Goma, Sake and other bases in the region. Earlier this year, we spoke to Defence Web’s Ricardo Teixeira about what went wrong in the DRC, and why he believed withdrawing our troops was the only option.
SANDF Under Siege
The loss of 14 soldiers in a fierce battle for control of Goma in January triggered demands for political resignations, military withdrawal, and a diplomatic standoff with Rwanda. The troops, part of a South African intervention force in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, were reportedly killed by the M23 rebel group, which stands accused of receiving Rwandan support. Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame, dismissed these allegations outright and mocked South Africa’s warnings of military action. But should the SANDF have been involved in the DRC at all? And was it truly up to the task?
ARCHIVE: SANDF in the DRC
With the formidable Rooivalk combat helicopter providing cover, Carte Blanche ventures deep into the dense tropical forests north of Beni in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There, in a newly secured military camp, John Webb gains rare access to the SANDF’s forward-operating bases within North Kivu’s infamous Triangle of Death, where South African troops are engaged in the fight against ADF rebels. On the ground, we meet soldiers who have distinguished themselves not only in battle but also in critical support roles, alongside skilled SANDF pilots embedded in the UN’s aviation unit—renowned for their precision and bravery. We also speaks with General Derrick Mgwebi, the South African officer entrusted with leading the UN’s vast peacekeeping mission in the DRC, the largest of its kind in the world.
ARCHIVE: Smoke and Mirror Trading
The Cape High Court has set four provisional liquidators the task of tracking down assets that can still be found after the mammoth Mirror Trading International shut down in December 2020 – this after numerous investors were unable to withdraw their money. Marketed as a multilevel bitcoin investment scheme and valued at up to R9 billion, MTI claim they’ve made up to 10% in returns per month using a computerised trading system. But why was the Financial Sector Conduct Authority unable to find evidence of trading success by the company? Has the CEO really disappeared as has been widely reported? Carte Blanche reveals how 300,000 members were duped out of their life savings as investigators try to account for nearly 23,000 Bitcoin.
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