“Social media is not a space I particularly enjoy anymore. It used to be an ideal way to catch up on what people were having for dinner or how their pets had grown. But now, as Sunday’s story on Facebook Marketplace demonstrates, it’s evolved into a place that’s not only frequently toxic, but at its worst, criminal.” – John Webb, Executive Producer
Grand Undertaking
It’s a profession literally shrouded in secrecy, but we’re pulling back the veil. Undertakers accompany our loved ones on their final journeys, collecting them from home or hospital or a forensic laboratory after they’ve passed on. They gently prepare the body for a family’s goodbyes, whether at a burial or a cremation. From small family parlours to major corporate enterprises, designer coffins to Hummer hearses – it’s everything you’ve been dying to know about the serious business of funerals. Carte Blanche meets the people who make death their occupation.
Producer: Kate Barry | Presenter: Lourensa Eckard
Marketplace Murder
He was ready to be married; instead, he was buried. This week, a 29-year-old man was executed in an armed robbery in Ottery, Western Cape. It’s not an isolated tragedy: it’s part of a new criminal economy built on Facebook Marketplace. A man hijacked and locked in the boot of his own car. A fake sale ending in a police gun battle. The blueprint is the same: lure, misdirect, test the goods, then ambush. Carte Blanche exposes the anatomy of a trap, asks why police often arrive after the body bags, and demands answers from the digital platform that’s become South Africa’s deadliest street corner.
Producer: Latashia Naidoo | Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli
K9 Bond
They call him Bond, K9 Bond. He’s a 25-kilo missile of fur, muscle and determination. That’s right: Bond is a dog. And he’s half of a dedicated duo changing lives, one rescue at a time. Bond is attached to the Eastern Cape SAPS K9 search and rescue unit – and to his handler, Seargent Buyisile Makhosone, or Mak for short. They’re young, dynamic and dogged, ready to take on whatever the job throws at them – and they’re already making a name for themselves. Carte Blanche meets a four-legged hero and his partner, and explores the extraordinary relationship between hound and handler.
Producer: Graham Coetzer | Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli
COMING SOON
Saving the Sandfish
Every year, an ancient journey begins. It’s a phenomenon rooted in cultural memory – now threatened with extinction. We meet the team undertaking Africa’s largest freshwater fish rescue.
Patricia the Train
This locomotive carries more than history. Bringing Patricia back meant years of dedication and a small fortune. Once left to rust, this old steam train now runs in all her glory.
NOW STREAMING
Refinery for a Rand
Our government is making all the right noises about reducing our reliance on fossil fuels but, on the ground, its actions paint a different picture. Despite a much publicised Just Transition Programme, we’re forging ahead with massive investments in fossil fuels. And, as this story shows, the impacts on public health don’t appear to be a concern. Controversy is brewing around a decades-old refinery in KZN, once owned by two major oil multinationals. Government recently bought it voetstoots in a deal that appears to have been too good to be true. So why are local communities and activists so angry? We went to Durban to find out. Get the full story now on DStv Stream.
Alabuga Start Programme
What would you do if you saw an online advert promising a stable, well-paid job complete with training, accommodation and regular raises? Would you uproot your life and move thousands of kilometres to Russia? Well, that’s what the young women targeted by Alabuga Start were preparing to do when controversy exploded online. But this isn’t just a social media drama, it’s a story about shadowy organisations allegedly selling a dream that’s too good to be true – with serious real-world consequences. So, who’s behind the shiny promises? We confront the various role players now on DStv Stream.
NEWS & VIEWS
ARCHIVE: The Fightback (2022)
Babita Deokaran’s family described her as a woman of integrity. Her colleagues say she consistently showed these values while serving as Chief Director of Finance in the Gauteng Department of Health. The Special Investigating Unit, which was probing fraud and corruption in the Department, considered her a key contributor. She had supported their work for ten years. But her role ended when she was murdered in 2021. Carte Blanche examined the startling evidence she helped uncover.
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