“In the early 2000s, I travelled to Baghdad accompanying a charitable foundation as it delivered much-needed medical supplies to a country in the grip of international sanctions. The group was led by an energetic and affable doctor called Imtiaz Sooliman, a devout, bespectacled man who spoke so quickly his words overlapped. More than 20 years and dozens of global disasters later, he’s built his Gift of the Givers into the pride of a nation. If there are half a dozen stories I tell my grandchildren, travelling to Iraq in the company of one of the great South Africans will be one of them.” – John Webb, Executive Producer
Feckless Franchisor
In an economy where the survival of small businesses has become uncertain, the prospect of buying into a seemingly successful franchise with good returns was irresistible. The franchisor promised training, a business plan and software to ensure every chance of scoring big in the property game. But that’s not what he delivered. As the ink was drying on the agreement, the franchisor turned on his customers, verbally abusing them and threatening violence. Carte Blanche investigates.
Producer: Carol Albertyn Christie | Presenter: Bongani Bingwa
Rogue Responders
It’s a growing phenomenon in Gauteng: volunteer paramedics assisting people involved in accidents or other life-threatening situations. Forced to act as a necessary response to scarce emergency services in their communities, ordinary citizens are stepping in to fill the gap. In Brakpan, members of the community underwent self-funded training, and some are now fully qualified first aiders doing what they can to assist until more capable personnel arrive on the scene. Others, though, operate illegally by overstepping the mark and, in some instances, patients have died in their care. One woman has become so brazen that she’s developed a reputation as a vigilante paramedic, endangering the lives of those in desperate need of emergency care.
Producer: Hein Kaiser | Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli
The Village Genius
Professor Mulalo Doyoyo remembers growing up in the peaceful village of Vondwe in Limpopo. It’s where his dream to become a world-renowned researcher and inventor took shape. In the 1980s, a scholarship sent him to a school with a strong emphasis on maths and science. It was this background that propelled him into several prestigious international universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A brilliant scholar, Professor Doyoyo returned to South Africa and set up his own laboratory where he began experimenting with environmentally friendly chemicals. It’s led to a groundbreaking discovery; one that might revolutionise construction, help save the planet, and cement his place in history.
Producer: Kate Barry | Presenter: Claire Mawisa
The Gift of Giving
In a nondescript warehouse in Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal, volunteers are hard at work, organising, packing and getting thousands of donations ready for shipment to countries in need of assistance. This is the machine behind the South African disaster relief organisation, Gift of the Givers – brainchild of the legendary Dr Imtiaz Sooliman. He’s built his foundation into the pride of a nation, assisting not only South Africans but the victims of natural and man-made disasters around the world. But who is the real Dr Sooliman? What has his experience as a “disaster tourist” taught him about humanity? And what lessons does he have for his own country, one flirting with calamity? A man of deep faith and limitless empathy, Dr Sooliman offers us a privileged glimpse of the man behind the public persona.
Producer: Floris Kotze | Presenter: Lourensa Eckard
CARTE BLANCHE: THE PODCAST
We Need to Talk About Lady R
Well, ship! The Rand takes a tumble as the world wants to know: what was on the Russian vessel, Lady R? Then, we take a quick look at the recent Eskom SCOPA hearings. And why the Klein Karoo has foodies around the world excited.
SA’s Reading Crisis
It’s a startling statistic: nearly 80% of grade 4 children in SA can’t read. Our exclusive access to Department of Basic Education planning documents sheds new light on how government is failing children across the country.
PICKS OF THE WEEK
Mother Knows Best?
How did the Al Jama-ah party vet current Joburg mayor, Kabelo Gwamanda for this crucial position? They asked his mother… We call Gwamanda’s qualifications into question.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Solar Power(less)
Bracing themselves for the disruption and frustration of loadshedding, South Africans are increasingly exploring off-the-grid alternatives. Whether it’s making life and business more sustainable, citizens are entering a future set for more of the same, according to the experts. Carte Blanche investigates a cautionary tale of solutions promised but not delivered as one solar service provider banks on the desperation of his clients and seems to get away with one excuse after the next.
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