“If the way a society – or in this case a municipality – treats its elderly is a moral barometer, Ekurhuleni appears to fare very poorly. But given what the Madlanga Commission has revealed about governance in that metro, are any of us surprised?” – John Webb, Executive Producer
Dignity Denied
Broken homes, sewage leaks, and no security: this is how inhabitants of government-run retirement homes live, while the City returns millions budgeted for maintenance and repairs, unspent. Volunteers try to stem the tide of overgrown vegetation and sewage while elderly residents endure cold showers, sleep under leaking roofs, and fear becoming targets of violent crime. Where is the municipality responsible for ensuring dignity in its citizens’ final years?
Producer: Sebe Buthelezi | Presenter: Govan Whittles
Ghost Village
From a distance, nothing seems amiss. But take a closer look: facades crumbling, weeds and weather gaining the upper hand, hundreds of residential units stand empty and derelict. It was intended as accommodation for contractors building Kusile Power Station, but this residential complex has never had a real resident. Instead, it’s swallowed close to R1 billion in a decade, procurement spiralling even as construction ground to a halt… And workers were housed in alternative accommodation at further cost to the taxpayer. A monument to waste and vanished accountability? Carte Blanche steps inside the ghost village.
Producer: Latashia Naidoo | Presenter: Lourensa Eckard
Moonshot
There’s a new global space race underway to answer some of our biggest questions – and South Africa is in the running. The dark side of the moon is one of the quietest places in the solar system: sheltered from the noisy interference of Earth, this is where scientists want to listen to signals that could reveal the very beginnings of our universe. Getting there is no easy task. But a Cape Town team has a design for a unique and robust telescope that might survive the journey, and a ticket to the moon.
Producer: Sasha Schwendenwein | Presenter: Catherine Rice
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