“I once spent 24 hours aboard a long liner licenced to fish for shark. It was cramped, noisy, and the air was thick with the smell of diesel and perspiration. Beyond the obvious, I could imagine few jobs as demanding or dangerous. How terrifying it must have been for the 11 crew aboard the stricken Lepanto to confront the inevitable as the dark and icy waters of the Atlantic rose menacingly around them.” -John Webb, Executive Producer
Lost at Sea
It was a clear day off the coast of Cape Town. A deep-sea fishing trawler carrying twenty crew was fishing for hake. But within hours, something catastrophic happened on the boat, causing it to sink in under five minutes. Nine fishermen survived. But 11 others were trapped inside and disappeared beneath the waves. One survivor claims the vessel had returned to port with engine trouble the previous day and sat there for fourteen hours before heading back out to sea. With many unanswered questions and an official investigation underway, Carte Blanche examines the final moments of the doomed vessel and speaks to families desperate for the return of their loved ones’ remains.
Producer: Annalise Lubbe | Presenter: Erin Bates
Cycling Collisions
Dewald van der Westhuizen used to be an avid cyclist. He was a regular on Cape Town roads, training with his coach for the coveted IRONMAN championship. But all that changed in December last year when he was run over by an allegedly drunk driver. His injuries were horrific, leaving Dewald fighting for his life. The driver was arrested several hours later and charged with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident, reckless and negligent driving, and attempted murder. His licence was revoked. But shockingly, less than six months later, his bail conditions were relaxed and his licence returned. Sadly, this isn’t an isolated case. Some reports indicate that motorists who hit cyclists are often let off with little more than a slap on the wrist. This Sunday, Carte Blanche asks whether cyclists subjected to the worst examples of reckless driving are being denied proper justice.
Producer: Catherine Rice | Presenter: Erin Bates
Resurrecting the Tasmanian Tiger
The Tasmanian tiger was the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world, an apex predator that hunted kangaroos and other prey. But it was hunted to extinction by humans and the last one died in captivity in the 1930s. Now, in a scientific gamble of epic proportions, a group of Australian scientists say they will have the Tasmanian tiger roaming the wild once again in a matter of years. Using genetic engineering, these scientists are trying to bring the creature back to life. But their efforts have been met with some resistance as many Australians believe the money invested in the project could be better spent.
Producer: Al Jazeera | Presenter: Mary Ann Jolley
CARTE BLANCHE: THE PODCAST
Here’s to GNU Beginnings!
New faces, new voices – we look at the big changes on the Members of Parliament list. Then, from political drama to courtroom drama – we do a quick-take on some major cases. Later, devastation across parts of KZN – again. Also, are willing fathers unfairly excluded from their children’s lives by the legal system. And Mexico welcomes its first female president and we’re ready to take notes. But first, as the ANC moves towards a Government of National Unity, the fight over policies begins. Whether its giving back the land or nationalising the Reserve Bank, or even scrapping BEE… Heck, some parties are even pushing for the scrapping of the Constitution altogether. So, what’s a coalition government to do when policies clash?
PICKS OF THE WEEK
Dr Tristram Horton: An Open Secret
Some colleagues have described him as “unstable”, while others say he lied about removing aggressive tumours from his patients’ brains. Yet, neurosurgeon Tristram Horton performed complex brain surgeries on unsuspecting patients at various hospitals in Gauteng. Stripped of his medical license in the United States for alleged malpractice and drug use, we ask: how did the HPCSA allow him to practise in South Africa despite his prior history?
Full Steam Ahead
In the Eastern Free State, at the foot of the majestic Maluti mountains, Oom Gert Jubileus is working on one of his beloved steam trains. It’s part of the world’s biggest working collection of narrow-gauge steam locomotives; an invaluable heritage that takes visitors back in time. This museum of locomotives consists of 69 steam engines, many of them completely restored. Oom Gert, a long-serving train driver, takes Carte Blanche on a nostalgic journey to a bygone era.
AMR: Superbug Takeover
Superbugs – or antibiotic-resistant bacteria – have become one of the biggest threats to human health worldwide. Due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, these life-threatening bugs have developed resistance to medication and are rapidly proliferating, causing many infections to become untreatable. Until now, the focus of research has primarily been on human health and animals. But scientists have now identified the role of the environment in the spread of superbugs.
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