The War on Buses
Long-distance bus travel is a lucrative business in South Africa, with thousands of passengers transported across the country each day. But, in the Eastern Cape, regional roads are highly prized and, for some minibus taxi drivers, not for sharing. When buses “stray” onto their turf, the consequences are often violent, sometimes deadly. A Carte Blanche investigation lays bare the extreme hazards associated with bus travel, and discovers the problem extends into other provinces, too.
Producer: Jana Marx | Presenter: Masa Kekana
City Power(less)
Embattled City of Johannesburg residents face another imminent rates increase. But are residents getting bang for their buck? Or is the city increasingly self-serving, losing sight of its purpose? Revenue from electricity sales has always been the backbone of Jo’burg’s finances, but City Power itself faces massive debt and a R26 billion infrastructure backlog. With substations crumbling, and thieves repeatedly attacking what little is left, Carte Blanche gets answers on whether the City of Gold can reinvent itself and start delivering to its frustrated residents.
Producer: Joy Summers | Presenter: Bongani Bingwa
Justice Delayed
In December 2010, Andy Kawa went for a walk on a beach in her then-hometown, Port Elizabeth. She disappeared without a trace. Unable to contact her, her family raised the alarm, immediately reporting her missing. The police, though, were slow to follow up and all the while, Andy was in the fight of her life. For about fifteen hours, she was held at knifepoint and brutally gang raped by vagrants. She’d eventually be found, but the investigation that followed was so sloppy that it denied her justice and prolonged her trauma. So, she decided to take her fight against the police to court and, 12 years later, after a relentless battle, the Constitutional Court finally ruled the police had been negligent in their handling of her case. A victory for Andy and a game-changer for survivors of violent crime.
Producer: Ntokozo Sindane | Presenter: Claire Mawisa
Mind Over Matter
At 14 years old, Amy Martin began to experience weakness and difficulty moving the left side of her body. A neurologist confirmed a devastating diagnosis: Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma – a rare brain tumour affecting children. An operation to remove the tumour left her suffering from severe epilepsy and unsure whether she’d ever regain full mobility. By her early twenties, and after two more brain surgeries, Amy had four titanium plates and 16 titanium screws in her skull and was missing about a quarter of her brain. But she didn’t give up, turning her gaze towards the future and enrolling at Stellenbosch University. In April this year, Amy graduated with a PhD in ancient cultures – a thrilling climax for the woman with just 75 percent of her brain.
Producer: Laura Byrne | Presenter: Claire Mawisa
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