“We’re aware that we’ve called the people behind the June 30th protests ‘anti-illegal immigration’ and that some might consider this an inaccurate description. Make no mistake, we’re aware that their position is generally fuelled by xenophobia and that their planned demonstrations may well end in chaos and violence. We’re alive to the fact, too, that we would likely have avoided this unseemly chapter entirely had our government just done its job.” – John Webb, Executive Producer
Illegal D-Day
A deadline is looming. Anti-immigration groups have issued an ultimatum to undocumented foreign nationals: leave the country by 30 June or face a national shutdown. Yet, even as government urges citizens not to take the law into their own hands and announces measures to tackle illegal immigration, tensions are rising. We visit communities which have seen violent protest and even deaths. We speak to foreigners forced to abandon jobs and locals who feel they can’t compete for scarce resources, religious leaders calling for peace, diplomats repatriating citizens, and protest organisers. Will 30 June pass calmly, or will neighbour turn against neighbour in a day of national violence?
Producer: Kate Barry | Presenter: Govan Whittles
Red Hot Summer
What happens when unprecedented heat collides with a country already struggling to deliver water? The nation is battling a water crisis as municipal infrastructure fails and frustration grows. But now, as we face perhaps the hottest summer ever recorded, can our most reliable supply system withstand the heat? We follow an international team of hydrologists from Johannesburg to the mountains of Lesotho as they model how the Vaal Lesotho Water System will respond to extreme weather, and seek the answer to a vital climate question: could extreme heat push our already strained water networks to Day Zero?
Producer: Anina Peens | Presenter: Govan Whittles
Durban: March or Else
Burnt-out shops and empty streets: the fear that gripped Durban during the July 2021 riots still lingers. Now, the city is holding its breath once again. Threats and intimidation circulate on social media. Migrants say they’re being forced out of communities. Some families have gone into hiding; others have fled to temporary camps. As demands for illegal immigrants to leave the country escalate, is Durban becoming a tinderbox once more?
Producer: Carol Albertyn Christie | Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli
The Loneliness Club
Every morning, in a modest house in Cape Town’s Grassy Park, a daily ritual begins: tea and conversation; music, exercise and games. A small rebellion against a global epidemic – of loneliness. It’s linked to depression, dementia, cardiovascular disease, and premature death. Around the world, there’s a growing need to create connection in old age, to fill the gaps left by the demands of modern life. Could the answer be as simple as routine, companionship and dominoes?
Producer: Latashia Naidoo | Presenter: Erin Bates
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