A CARTE BLANCHE DOCUMENTARY
“Some weeks ago, I was sent a photo of an exhausted but smiling crew outside an airfield in the Northern Cape. Laden with gear, they were about to board the final flight of an exhausting production schedule incorporating five provinces, close to 30 interviews, and several sleep-deprived nights. And yet, despite the tiredness and the heat, they looked at peace… satisfied, somehow. Ordinarily, I’d put that down to the joy of going home, of having finished a tough assignment. But, on this production, knowing the conversations they’d had – with the interviewees and each other – I think they’d come to understand a little more about the country they call home. And fallen a little more in love with it, despite how horribly it sometimes treats them.” – John Webb, Executive Producer
M-Net celebrates Freedom Day with the broadcast of a 90-minute Carte Blanche special, looking back at three decades of democracy in South Africa. 30 Years of Democracy tells the story of South Africa and her people, from the moment democracy was attained, reflecting on the journey so far and imagining what the perfect destination looks like.
Thirty years after the country’s first free, fair, democratic election in 1994, the Carte Blanche team travels across South Africa to meet people from all walks of life, sharing their realities, hearing their dreams and listening intently to their hopes for the future. Rather than being a history of post-apartheid South Africa or a political assessment of South Africa’s destiny, 30 Years of Democracy seeks to gain an understanding of how South Africans have experienced the last 30 years living in this country – how it has shaped their identity and whether they believe their hopes, wants and needs will be realised in the future.
CARTE BLANCHE: THE PODCAST
Rabbit Holes and Election Polls
Daily Maverick has shut down – well, sort of. Why all South Africans should pay attention. It’s the battle of Public Protectors – but at what cost? Then, the ANC is confident it will reign victorious come the May elections. And a win for Siya Kolis, Limpopo musicians… and South Africa as a whole. But first, we try and understand why so many people are convinced that the late former Steinhoff CEO, Markus Jooste, is faking his own death…
PICKS OF THE WEEK
Shauwn Mkhize: A Clean Sheet?
Shauwn Mkhize is a flamboyant, high-flying businesswoman and soccer boss from KwaZulu-Natal who was once at the centre of allegations of fraud and tax evasion. MaMkhize secured much of her wealth from multiple government tenders to build low-cost housing in the province. Despite being found guilty of fraud in 2005, she doesn’t take kindly to being called a convicted fraudster – something Carte Blanche did in a previous episode. In February this year, we investigated Msunduzi Municipality’s multi-million rand sponsorship of Mkhize’s PSL football club, Royal AM. Days later, Mkhize filed court papers, saying the label “convicted fraudster” was false and defamatory and insisting her record is clean. But, right after our legal papers had been filed, she withdrew the case. Now, in an explosive interview with Govan Whittles, the soccer boss and tenderpreneur pushes back against our claims.
Hope and Healing
A normal day at home for eight-year-old Lelitha Jantjies turned into a nightmare when the family dog viciously attacked her, severely injuring her face. After multiple procedures to stitch her wounds and fight off an infection, the little girl was left with terrible scars and the emotional wounds inflicted by some uncaring schoolmates. Last year, medical specialist, Dr Ansua Steyn, heard about Lelitha’s plight and felt compelled to help. It was the start of something special as Dr Steyn, together with some of her colleagues, operated on Lelitha’s scars and slowly helped the little girl regain her confidence. But the team hasn’t stopped there. Theirs is a remarkable story of lending a hand to those who have suffered severe facial disfigurement and helped them get their lives back.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Enyobeni: Tavern of Terror
As devastated families in the Eastern Cape buried their loved ones this week, the country is still in shock over the 21 young lives lost at a local tavern in East London. While the cause of their deaths remains unconfirmed, one question lingers: why were children as young as 13 out drinking at a tavern? In South Africa, alcohol consumption figures among adults are rated among the highest in the world, but is underage drinking becoming a norm, too? Within days of the tragedy, Carte Blanche took to the streets of East London and surrounds to find underage drinking carrying on unabated in the area. We confront the Provincial Liquor Board on where accountability lies.
Smoke and Mirror Trading International
Marketed as a multilevel bitcoin investment scheme and valued at up to R9 billion, MTI claim they’ve made up to 10% in returns per month using a computerised trading system. But why was the Financial Sector Conduct Authority unable to find evidence of trading success by the company? Has the CEO really disappeared as has been widely reported? Carte Blanche reveals how 300,000 members were duped out of their life savings as investigators try to account for nearly 23,000 Bitcoin.
Christo Wiese on Steinhoff
For years, analysts, banks and rating agencies promoted global retailer Steinhoff as a sound investment. With 40 brands under its belt, and operating in over 30 territories, the retail giant was one of the top performers on world markets. That is until the house of cards came tumbling down. Billionaire businessman and former chairman of the company, Christo Wiese, is suing Steinhoff for R59 billion. But was he really unaware of the accounting fraud and financial irregularities happening right under his nose? We put Wiese in the hot seat.
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