“Superficially, Sunday’s e-scooter insert is about a controversial solution to a lingering problem: traffic congestion. But it encompasses so much more than that. It’s about challenging convention and how entrenched conservatism stifles the entrepreneurial spirit. It’s about access, the environment, and lateral thinking. In essence, it’s a reflection of the modern dilemma in a time of seismic change. Or, if you prefer, it’s a story about e-scooters.” – John Webb, Executive Producer
GoNOW OR StopSOON?
In the Western Cape student town of Stellenbosch, electric mobility is rolling in to beat the traffic blues – but not everybody is happy about it. For four years, a homegrown electric scooter startup has transformed how students and more adventurous residents travel through town. It’s efficient, scalable and, until recently, embraced – especially by the under-30s. But now the municipality says it wants to shut the service down. South Africa has no clear regulatory framework for emerging electric mobility. So, as innovation collides with bureaucracy, what happens in Stellenbosch could set a precedent nationwide. Should this e-scooter start up really go now, or must it stop soon?
Producer: Marion Edmunds | Presenter: Catherine Rice
Hot Soup
Dilapidated facilities, inflated prices and murky suppliers: government is spending hundreds of millions to feed the hungry, but the numbers just don’t add up. eThekwini’s soup kitchen programme is coming under scrutiny as images of unappetising food, uncollected waste, and rodent infestations make the rounds on social media. Meanwhile, documents reveal questionable suppliers charging above the odds for basic groceries, while government claims records have been faked. Where is the food, who is really being fed – and who is paying the price for a faltering system? Carte Blanche investigates.
Producer: Harri Vithi | Presenter: Masa Kekana
The Archivist
One man has walked the streets of Ga-Rankuwa, documenting the stories of its people for two decades. At the age of 60, Andrew Sefolo is still Ga-Rankuwa’s favourite photographer, capturing families in their Sunday best, at weddings and graduations, Christmas and New Year’s Day. But Bra Andrew does more than provide a popular service: he’s keeping the tradition of the township photographer – dating from the days before digital cameras and smartphones – alive. As the custom has faded, Bra Andrew remains a living archive of township life.
Producer: Zikhona Tshona | Presenter: Govan Whittles
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