WORLD WIDE WEBB
“I played pool in Hillbrow through much of the early 90’s. I was a student at what was then the Rand Afrikaans University and, on a good night, could earn some extra cash at the tables run by hustlers at the now-closed Hotel Quirinale. It was edgy back then, a far cry from the Café Wien and Three Sisters era with its Espresso and strudel weekend afternoons. But it was textured and interesting, nonetheless. I haven’t been back there in a very long time, but I doubt there’d much money to be made these days by a cocky politics student with fancy fold-up pool cue. Not one without a significant security detail.” – John Webb, Executive Producer
Kuruman’s Catastrophic Criminality
Residents of Kuruman are traumatised: Armed robberies and violent attacks in broad daylight, drive-by shootings, and corruption. And if crime weren’t enough of a problem, gross service delivery failures have left this famed stopover for tourists and adventurers in the Northern Cape in crisis. The Eye of Kuruman, a natural spring with 20 million litres of crystal-clear water bubbling to the surface every day, was once known as the Oasis of the Kalahari. But pollution from a defunct sewerage system and poor bylaw enforcement is seeing this pristine life-source wasted. Carte Blanche investigates the residents’ plight and presses the powers that be for answers.
Producer: Stenette Grosskopf | Presenter: Derek Watts
All Choked Up
Another year, another debacle for South African cricket. After a promising win against India, defeat to Pakistan and then – of all countries – The Netherlands sent the Protea’s crashing out of the T20 World Cup in Adelaide. It’s the latest in a series of painful exits from the 50 and 20 over global showdown since re-admission in 1992. Always full of promise, the Proteas have consistently failed to deliver – the much-maligned “chokers” tag weighing ever more heavily. Years of maladministration, with hundreds of millions of rands in losses, have left the game in an existential crisis at a time when the very nature of world cricket is changing, and cricket boards are all turning to domestic T20 leagues for financial salvation. How does South African cricket pick itself up and move forward in a time of upheaval for the world game?
Producer: Julian Sun | Presenter: Claire Mawisa
One Night in Hillbrow
Overcrowded, restless, volatile. A neighbourhood where anything can happen, and life is cheap. But despite the grime and crime, people still stream into Hillbrow desperate for the promise of a better life that comes with big city life. Hillbrow-born and raised, Carte Blanche meets a guardian fighting to keep chaos and lawlessness at bay. With his invisible army of undercover informants and patrollers keeping an ear to the ground, he works to tip the odds in this dog-eat-dog suburb where buildings are hijacked and stripped bare, alcohol and violence flow freely, and drug addicts camp out on the streets. It’s a full-time job for a security company working to keep some spaces safe for the area’s residents and remaining businesses.
Producer: Nicky Troll | Presenter: Masa Kekana
Pride and Prejudice
A recent warning by US authorities of a possible terror attack in Sandton immediately raised fears that the intended target was the annual Pride parade. In the absence of hard facts, it was at best an educated guess, but one not without merit. Despite the strides made in recognising the rights of the LGBTQI+ community, stigma and prejudice are rife. In a story about the transformative power of love and acceptance, Carte Blanche speaks to people living beyond the limitations society has placed on them, working to create acceptance for everyone’s right to choose who they want to love.
Producer: Hein Kaiser | Presenter: Masa Kekana
PICKS OF THE WEEK
Getting Confrontational
You’ve seen Masa Kekana and Claire Mawisa running after alleged baddies over the years. But have you ever wondered what it takes to confront supposed wrongdoers?
Miracle Man
In life, he gained a reputation as a man of miracles – the heart and soul of his congregation, and a firm believer in resurrection. But more than 435 days since his passing, the well-known pastor is yet to be buried or, in fact, resurrected. While his body remains at a funeral home, it’s business as usual at his church – complete with counselling sessions with the deceased pastor, for a fee. Carte Blanche investigates.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Stealing from SASSA
Is it a perceived culture of impunity or growing lawlessness that made one dodgy broker think she could get away with skimming SASSA money? The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) sustains over 3,7 million qualifying pensioners – a critical lifeline for those who need it. Carte Blanche investigates the implications when one woman sets up an illegal SASSA agency, pushing through government old-age grants for a fee. The beneficiaries? Financially stable elderly people who cheat the system to line their pockets with taxpayer resources.
Eggs and Flies
Why would a business that prides itself on producing its popular brand of eggs, at affordable prices and to the highest standards, face calls to close down its facility? Matters are coming to a head between the listed JSE company that supplies eggs to some of our largest retailers and their neighbours in Hekpoort outside Johannesburg. Residents accuse the company of being a bad corporate citizen and creating a plague of flies that is destroying the surrounding businesses. Carte Blanche investigates.
Please note: Carte Blanche line-ups are subject to change. Stories can be viewed at www.carteblanche.co.za
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