“I left Venice in 2009 with a sense of paradox. Its historical and aesthetic attributes were undeniable, but being there was a bit like holidaying on the forecourt of Grand Central Station. It doesn’t surprise me that residents are now agitating for a clampdown on tourist numbers. Perhaps one day, if all goes well, Cape Town will have to do the same.” – John Webb, Executive Producer
Pigs in Pants
On the slopes of Table Mountain, groundbreaking forensic research unfolds… with the help of pigs. When police recover severely decomposed remains, knowing how bodies decay can establish time and place of death. And in the Western Cape – the province with the highest rise in murders last year – this information could mean the difference between solving a murder and seeing a case go cold. But in South Africa, it’s illegal to experiment on human bodies. So, these scientists have turned to pigs: similarities in anatomy make them perfect substitutes – especially when the carcasses are dressed in human clothes and left in Cape Town’s known murder hotspots. Carte Blanche explores a South African first providing new insights set to improve the accuracy and success rates of criminal investigations.
Producer: Annalise Lubbe | Presenter: Erin Bates
A Tale of Two Species
In the chilly waters off the Cape West Coast, a dramatic scene unfolds: a pod of orcas attacks a humpback, working together to drown the young whale. It’s a rare and chilling sight. But the orcas are at the centre of a scientific controversy as great white sharks are disappearing from South African waters at a frightening rate. Are the orcas to blame, or are overfishing and shark nets eliminating these apex predators? We take to the waves to ask what’s happening to the great whites and what their loss means for our delicate marine ecosystem.
Producer: Liz Fish | Presenter: Masa Kekana
Jamming at Roller Derby
Fast, full-contact and sometimes brutal: roller derby is not a sport for the faint-hearted. All-female teams take to the track in knee pads and gum guards to jam, block and do battle – all with a touch of theatre. Teachers, actuaries and moms by day, by night they don warpaint, fishnets and alter egos with names to match. We meet Sam-I-Slam, the Katalyst, and I-maul: the women taking South African roller derby to the World Champs.
Producer: Nicky Troll | Presenter: Masa Kekana
Venice’s Tourist Overload
Ancient, unique and breathtakingly beautiful, for many decades it has been one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations. But Venice and her residents are taking strain from the sheer number of tourists swarming the narrow streets and canals. And while authorities seek solutions to the overcrowding that will keep the tourist dollars flowing, some locals are fighting back, protesting the tourism they say is destroying the city they love and the very character that’s made it a bucket list destination for millions of tourists.
Producer: SBS Dateline
NOW STREAMING
NHI: Doctors Dump SA
There’s a growing crisis in our health system. Doctors and other medical professionals are leaving the country in their hundreds. The reasons are varied and all too familiar: better pay and working conditions abroad, safety, and political stability. But increasingly, doctors are being driven away by government’s plan to introduce the National Health Insurance (NHI), a scheme many say is simply unworkable. In this story, we visit Ireland, a favoured destination for our departing doctors, and a country – despite being relatively wealthy – grappling with its own public health issues. Watch the full story now on DStv Stream and Catch Up.
Wild Coast Crime Wave
For years, the rural Eastern Cape was spared the worst of the crime wave engulfing other parts of the country. But early last year, that began to change. One of the country’s most pristine areas is now at the mercy of violent criminals. Several months ago, we visited some of the communities hardest hit by a series of home invasions, kidnappings and other attacks and found people determined to stay, but in desperate need of help from the police. Sadly, on a more recent trip, that resilience was clearly fading. For the full story, get DStv Stream.
NEWS & VIEWS
Justice at Last
In December 2010, Gauteng activist Andy Kawa was gang raped and held captive for 15 hours on a beach in Nelson Mandela Bay. By 2022, Kawa – having not received adequate support from police – approached the Constitutional Court in a desperate bid to hold authorities to account. Ultimately, the ConCourt agreed, stating that the SAPS had been negligent in conducting its investigation and contributed to the harm experienced by Kawa.
A year later, in 2023, a man was arrested for stealing a lawnmower. His name was Moses Gqesha and, upon his arrest, his DNA was taken. That DNA sample would lead to a massive break in Kawa’s case. Sadly, it took police a further seven months to act, leading to more frustration for the Kawa family.
This week, 14 years after her ordeal, justice was finally handed down at the Gqeberha High Court as Gqesha was found guilty on eight counts of rape, as well as kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Following the judgment, Kawa’s daughter Celiwe told Algoa FM that it didn’t feel like justice. “Justice would leave people and a family with a sense of fairness, but this trial has left a family retraumatised,” Celiwe said. “In this legal system, we are truly the lucky ones. It’s shocking that this is what luck feels like.”
Carte Blanche spoke to Kawa at the height of her ConCourt bid and met a woman who was determined to fight. You can watch her story now.
UPDATE: Trapped in Myanmar
This week, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) confirmed that 23 South Africans were successfully rescued from a massive human trafficking ring in Myanmar. This comes after Carte Blanche reported on how several South Africans were lured to the Southeast Asian nation with the promise of jobs. In a statement released on Thursday, DIRCO said the victims will receive medical and psychosocial support while a joint criminal investigation continues. Earlier this month, we spoke to one of the mothers whose daughter was trapped at a so-called scam compound in Myanmar. You can revisit that story now on DStv Stream or find it on Catch Up.
COMING SOON! Deadly Headaches
He was a world-renowned headache doctor and a specialist in his field. Now, two of his patients are dead and he’s facing charges of murder. Was the maxillofacial surgeon too old to still be performing complex procedures?
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