“So, industrial scale mining is being presented as the answer to Oyster Bay’s “sand migration” problem. I’m a layman on these matters, so how was the issue dealt with over the past I don’t know two, three hundred years? Has the sand recently developed a will of its own, marching single-mindedly on the town and its residents, hoping one day to swallow them whole? Or is it possible we’ve interfered with nature’s ability to regulate itself and now have no choice but to turn to a potentially damaging industrial solution?” – John Webb, Executive Producer
Refugee Roulette
Backlogs, red tape and exploitation: that’s what greets asylum seekers at South Africa’s borders. The law requires refugees to renew their applications every three months. But it’s not enough to jump through hoops: it’s pay up, or get out. As Home Affairs juggles a backlog that’s left tens of thousands in limbo, we uncover a web of corrupt officials and agents allegedly exploiting those fleeing conflict and persecution in their home countries. And as deportation looms, families who have called South Africa their home for decades pay the human cost.
Producer: Busisiwe Gumede-Chizhanje | Presenter: Masa Kekana
Sand Wars
A battle is brewing in a tiny coastal Eastern Cape town where pristine dunes meet a controversial mining plan. If the plan is passed, 20 to 40 truckloads of sand will be removed from the beach every day for up to five years. The mining company and some beachfront residents believes it’s the answer to the town’s sand migration problem, while others claim there’s been poor public participation and insist the mine will destroy the fragile dune and beach ecosystems. Essential environmental management or resource exploitation? The conflict threatens to break Oyster Bay in two.
Producer: Catherine Rice | Presenter: Erin Bates
Rags to Ruin
Accra: the gateway to Africa’s vast second-hand clothing industry. Used clothes are shipped in by the tonne from Europe, America and Asia, fuelling the livelihoods of thousands of resellers. But the industry threatens the very communities that depend on it. Discarded clothes clog rivers and beaches, saturate landfills and pollute the air and water. Ghana is the developed world’s garbage can, and it’s drowning under tonnes of unusable, unsellable fast fashion.
Producer: Radio Télévision Suisse
Small Town: Richmond
It’s the home of a celebrated literary festival, a world-class art gallery and a boutique book binding centre. No, this isn’t Berlin, Paris or New York. Welcome to Richmond: a tiny Northern Cape town off the N1 between Johannesburg and Cape Town. Steeped in history – from horse breeding to South African War skirmishes – Richmond may look like nothing more than a rest stop. But it’s a hidden Karoo gem bursting with character. In our latest Small Town feature, Carte Blanche gets a taste of life in this quirky dorp.
Producer: Diana Lucas | Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli
NOW STREAMING
Scammers in Blue
Imagine receiving a call saying you’ve been implicated in serious crimes. Would you believe it? No? Well, what if the call comes from a customs officer who seems to know everything about you? Using uniforms, props and authentic-looking sets, a cast of criminal characters are pulling out all the stops to get their hands on other people’s money.
Witsand: Bitcoin Capital
It’s been around for years, and yet so few of us appear to understand what Bitcoin is, where it comes from and what it’s worth. We doubt Lourensa would mind us saying she was one of those people as she set off on the Garden Route, our unofficial Bitcoin capital. From Witsand to Plettenberg Bay, more and more people are embracing this new way of doing business.
COMING SOON!
The Great Chain Robbery
In the coming weeks, we’ll be broadcasting several key investigations including exposés on corruption in the asylum application process. Also on our lineup, is an exposé of a more mysterious kind. With municipalities in disarray across the country, it’s no surprise that valuable assets sometimes disappear. Sometimes, though, criminals find value in the unlikeliest of places: here’s a look ahead to the Great Chain Robbery.
NEWS & VIEWS
Justice at Last
Fourteen years after a brutal attack, activist Andy Kawa has finally been given justice. On Thursday, Moses Gqesha was sentence to eight life terms for the rape and assault of Kawa in 2010. Gqesha, who was only arrested in January 2024, was found guilty on charges of rape as well as kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. In 2022, Carte Blanche spoke to Kawa about her ordeal and the long struggle to hold her perpetrator and police to account.
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