WORLD WIDE WEBB
“I’m a sucker for small-town Karoo. I have been ever since driving a student friend’s grandmother from Kakamas to Cape Town in her battered Nissan Skyline. Lamb’s tails, pumpkin with apricot jam, concrete farm pools, outdoor showers and nights spent under impossibly bright stars: it’s easy to see why so many are trading city life for that dry, dusty, glorious place.” – John Webb, Executive Producer
A Hard-Knock Life
It’s a registered NPO with the Limpopo Department of Social Development, and for years, the volunteers have been serving the vulnerable children of Alldays. They provide food and a safe place for the youngsters to go after school. For many of them, this is their only meal for that day. Then came a wealthy Swedish national who promised to build an orphanage, on municipal land, to accommodate the children. Donations poured in from around the world, and a building was erected. Ten years later, the NPO is still feeding children in Alldays, from a corrugated iron shack, in the dust, and next to the building that was intended for them. Their cries for help to the local Municipality have gone unanswered. Carte Blanche investigates.
Producer: Stenette Grosskopf | Research: Tebadi Mmotla| Presenter: Masa Kekana
Childhood Arthritis
It started as a rash, a persistent fever and some joint pain for nine-year-old Skylar Stewart. After multiple visits to the doctor, the diagnosis was shocking – Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). Arthritis is an autoimmune disease often only associated with the elderly. It’s painful and so debilitating that some patients struggle to walk without assistance. This is the harsh reality for children suffering with JIA. Expensive though it may be, JIA is treatable. So much so that it’s considered a Prescribed Minimum Benefit (PMB) – a disease that medical aids are obliged to cover. So why are so many of them refusing to pay for treatment for these children? Carte Blanche investigates.
Producer: Tarryn Crossman | Presenter: Bongani Bingwa
Steytlerville Follies
It’s a beautifully restored hotel overlooking the sleepy Karoo town of Steytlerville. The Karroo Theatrical Hotel is an oasis in the desert with a naughty attraction – a one-of-a-kind-drag show – that has all the locals talking. By day, Mark Hinds and his partner Jacques Rabie run their hotel. By night, they transform into Dame Leyla Lamborghini and Freddie Ferrari, with spectacular costumes designed and made by Jacques himself. Together they take their audiences on an emotional rollercoaster ride with an eclectic mix of classical piano and outlandish drag numbers. Carte Blanche peaks behind the curtain.
Producer: Stenette Grosskopf | Presenter: Derek Watts
CARTE BLANCHE: THE PODCAST
A Deadly Strike, Public Protector Probe, & A Win for Women’s Health
The NEHAWU strike may have come to an end, but the impact of the week-long disruption at various public hospitals will be felt by some for many years to come. Daily Maverick Managing Editor, Janet Heard, and Masa Kekana reflect on the strike that’s believed to have led to patient deaths. It’s also the inquiry that’s had many glued to their screens – suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane finally states her case.
The Elephant’s Revenge
At least six elephants – dead. But the culprits aren’t necessarily poachers. We investigate these horrific killings in Northern KZN.
PICKS OF THE WEEK
Prophets for Profit
He says God told him to train up an army of prophetic end-time generals at a multicampus online private university. But why have no earthly education authorities accredited his degrees?
Catch Up with Cameron Saaiman
We sit down with bantamweight UFC fighter Cameron Saaiman following his big win at UFC 285 in Las Vegas earlier this month.
Fort Hare Hit List
Earlier this week, the University of Fort Hare formally reported newly sworn-in Minister of Public Service and Administration, Noxolo Kiviet, to the Special Investigation Unit (SIU). This follows an internal report that found Kiviet managed to obtain an honours degree in administration and a master’s degree in public administration at the university without the necessary qualifications. Revisit our initial January investigation into these allegations and more now.
Tammy Taylor Franchise Fracas
Last year, we told the story of how Tammy Taylor Nails South Africa had lost their Master Licence and Distribution rights. We showed how local franchisors Mel & Peet Viljoen had sold a store in Gauteng to Happy Simelane for R2.8 million, only to reclaim it months later while keeping the money. Happy Simelane sued and, in a default judgment this past week, a judge ordered Tammy Taylor Nails SA to repay the R2.8 million plus costs.
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