“The heaviest rainfall in living memory. That’s how Citrusdal locals are describing this week’s deluge. A few hundred kilometres away, a tornado wreaks havoc in Durban. On Sunday, we’ll reference the impacts of climate change at the two extremes of global weather and suffer the inevitable vitriol of the denialist lobby. In response, we’ll say (as we always do): tear yourself away from Google, put on a pair of hardy trousers, and go take a look for yourself.” – John Webb, Executive Producer
‘Til the Wheels Come Off
Earlier this month, Carte Blanche investigated a multi-million rand Ponzi scheme that involved purchasing luxury vehicles without ever paying a loan instalment. The wheels eventually came off in spectacular fashion. Then, days after our broadcast, viewers sent us stories of how they had fallen victim to a more complex but similar scam. We investigate an intricate “ride to own” scheme which had some motorists owning multiple vehicles that they weren’t paying for and never took possession of. Now, the banks are owed more than R500 million and numerous vehicles have gone missing – stripped and resold for parts by a shady dealership. The Hawks are investigating but for the so-called victims, it’s time to pay up.
Producer: Hein Kaiser | Presenter: Bongani Bingwa
Empty Harvest
Abrie van Zyl loved his trees. He had spent three years planning his farm and, in September last year, he finally broke ground. He had invested all his personal savings into the venture and for ten months, his massive investment was growing. But that was before the rains came. In June this year, Citrusdal – a farming town in the Western Cape’s Olifants River Valley – was cut off from the world as heavy rains battered the community and devastating floods washed away its main access road. Abrie’s orchard was destroyed, leaving him millions of rands in the red. But he’s not alone. In the middle of the harvest season, many farmers in this area are on the edge of ruin.
Producer: Catherine Rice | Presenter: Erin Bates
Runner’s Rage
On the running calendar, the Comrades Marathon is the toughest race on earth. Local and international competitors train for months, sometimes even years, for the opportunity to complete the brutal 89 km run. For the last-place finishers, the medal is priceless: confirmation that they’ve completed the race before the 12-hour cut-off time. But this year, something went horribly wrong and hundreds of runners were cut off “too soon”. In fact, there were hardly any runners near the finish line when the gun went off at the 12-hour mark, leaving the field uncharacteristically empty. With runners crying foul, claiming they’ve been unfairly deprived of their hard-earned medals, what went wrong?
Producer: Sinethemba Nogude | Research: Laura Byrne | Presenter: Lourensa Eckard
CARTE BLANCHE: THE PODCAST
A Win-Win-Win for Justice
We break down the rands and cents of the Karpowership deal. Then, the shambolic Ukraine-Russia peace mission – but what was actually discussed? And several wins for truth and justice!
Wheelspin
Imagine driving a brand-new luxury vehicle every six months without ever paying a loan instalment. Sound too good to be true? Well, it probably is! We investigate an intricate Ponzi scheme that’s got some participants in a wheelspin.
PICKS OF THE WEEK
The Mobster, The Beauty Queen & The Hitmen
Poor policing, dodgy immigration lawyers and an unprotected coastline… It’s a poisonous trifecta that allows for the flourishing of a violent foreign criminal cartel, seemingly operating in the shadows of quiet suburbia in the Western Cape.
The Art of Neglect
The Johannesburg Art Gallery boasts an impressive collection of over 10 000 artworks from early Dutch masters to contemporary African works. But they’re rotting away in a derelict storage room…
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