“There’s a moment towards the end of our investigation into a childcare NGO that I consider one of the most profoundly sad I’ve ever seen on Carte Blanche. A young woman, recently reunited with her child after a years’ long separation, says it sometimes feels as if they’re complete strangers. Some might consider it relatively benign, but its dialogue delivered with such sorrow as to feel like a violent punch to the gut.” – John Webb, Executive Producer
Childcare Captured
It’s a well-respected organisation tasked with protecting society’s most vulnerable. So, why is this child protection service allegedly targeting vulnerable families and systematically stripping them of their children? As parents – often unaware of their rights – struggle to fight back, their children disappear into an unsafe and overburdened foster system. Carte Blanche investigates a disturbing pattern of alleged unchecked authority, fabricated allegations, legal shortcuts and a devastating disregard for law – all under the guise of protection.
Producer: Tarryn Crossman | Presenter: Govan Whittles
LifePod: Harvesting Hope
Around 5000 people in South Africa are waiting for life-saving organ transplants – often for years. But a group of University of Stellenbosch medical students is hoping to change that with LifePod, the country’s first dedicated transplant ICU at Tygerberg Hospital in the Western Cape. This new unit will ensure deceased organ donors can be moved out of busy trauma wards, helping to free up beds and speed up the donor process. LifePod has the potential of saving up to 100 lives a year, while giving back hope to those caught in South Africa’s organ donor crisis.
Producer: Catherine Rice | Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli
NOW STREAMING
Aviation Crisis
If you’re one of the roughly 2.5 million people who fly domestically in our country each year, you’ll be alarmed by this story. It’s about the management and staffing crisis at ATNS, the state-owned company that manages our air traffic. But this isn’t a controversy limited to the boardroom – according to some industry insiders, it impacts passenger safety.
Tax Haven or Tax Heaven?
In the past 10 years, almost 130 000 people have left South Africa with close to a million now living abroad. They relocate for different reasons, with job security and safety top of the list. But as recent budgetary decisions have shown, many of us are buckling under a mounting tax burden – and some are prepared to fight against any suggested increases. So, is that why a small, largely rural island of no more than 90 000 people is proving so popular with South African expats? We travel to the Isle of Man to find out.
NEWS & VIEWS
JPC Corruption Charges
In October 2023, Carte Blanche shone the spotlight on the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC), revealing significant governance and financial irregularities. Our exposé raised questions about the entity’s oversight capabilities over its vast multi-billion rand property portfolio.
Subsequent investigations by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) uncovered collusion between City of Johannesburg (COJ) supply chain officials, politicians, and service providers, leading to calls for comprehensive lifestyle audits of all COJ officials.
This past week, the Democratic Alliance(DA) in Johannesburg acted on the SIU’s report and opened criminal cases against several JPC and COJ officials implicated in the misconduct. The DA has also written to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), National Treasury and the Auditor General, urging investigations into potential violations of the Municipal Finance Management Act and Municipal Systems Act.
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