“It was a weekday morning in April and, having left the Oranjeville area in driving rain, I’d joined the N1 heading to Beaufort West and beyond. Almost as soon as I left the onramp, my car began to behave oddly, sliding like a pair of rubber-soled shoes on a freshly mopped floor. I slowed to 80 and spent the next several kilometres gripping the steering wheel as if my life depended on it. Turns out, it did.” – John Webb, Executive Producer
Koppies Kill Zone
It looks like a perfectly ordinary stretch of the N1 between Johannesburg and Kroonstad. But when it rains, this piece of highway turns into a death trap on which dozens of lives have been lost. The reason? Questionable drainage, a complete lack of warning signs – and official silence. As families endure unimaginable tragedy, what will it take to stop the disaster unfolding in plain sight?
Producer & Presenter: Anina Peens
The Great Chain Robbery
It comes as no surprise when valuable assets go missing from municipalities across South Africa. But there is a certain amount of irony in the disappearance of the mayoral chains. Ornate, shiny and worth a lot of money, they’re the ceremonial uniform of the executive mayor. So, who is nicking them? From a professional heist to an inside job, Carte Blanche investigates who could be helping themselves to the mayoral trappings of office.
Producer: Harri Vithi | Presenter: Masa Kekana
Living Memory
A Western Cape resident on a mission to discover his family’s origins. A veteran from Gauteng seeking out the graves of his Border War comrades. Two very different people with very different pasts. But they share a common drive: to keep the memories of the dead alive. Faced with overgrown cemeteries, vandalised headstones and fading memories, they recognise and celebrate those lying neglected in our graveyards. For one man, a way of finding closure on a war he didn’t choose; for the other, a window into a long-forgotten past. We meet two men preserving crumbling pieces of our history for generations to come.
Producer: Annalise Lubbe | Presenter: Govan Whittles
SAVE OUR VULTURES
Over 100 Vultures Poisoned
Just over a week ago, we celebrated as over 80 vultures were rescued from a poisoning incident in the Kruger National Park. It was a rare conservation win in a battle for South African vultures’ survival. Sadly, this week that victory was overshadowed as a third major poisoning in less than a month left over 100 vultures dead.
Conservationists are reeling as fears mount over what appears to be a deliberate and coordinated campaign targeting vultures in the Lowveld. With each incident, the scale of destruction grows, pushing these already endangered birds closer to the brink of extinction.
For years, Carte Blanche has chronicled the steady decline of South Africa’s vulture populations, highlighting their critical role as nature’s clean-up crew and the broader ecological dangers of their disappearance. These recent poisonings aren’t just tragic – they’re a red flag that something more sinister may be unfolding. As suspicions grow around possible criminal syndicates, the call for swift action grows louder. Revisit some of our more recent coverage to better understand what’s at stake and why saving these scavengers is so important.
It’s a vulnerable species but in Limpopo’s Blouberg Nature Reserve, the Cape vulture has found a home. High in the mountains, some 1400 breeding pairs nest on the cliffs and catching a glimpse means a difficult hike up challenging terrain. But that doesn’t dissuade some avid nature lovers from embarking on the sweltering trek. Govan dons a pair of khaki shorts and hardy boots to join the faithful in their pilgrimage to see the venerable vulture in its natural environment.
In the heart of the Eastern Cape, a group of White-backed and Cape vultures survey their new home. These birds are part of a group of 163 vultures moved from Vulpro, a sanctuary at Hartbeespoort in the North West, to a private game reserve in the Eastern Cape. In Africa’s largest vulture relocation, truckloads of the raptors were captured and driven over a thousand kilometres to the unspoilt wilderness at Shamwari Private Game Reserve. The new bespoke facility will focus on rehabilitation and captive breeding programmes, with the goal of releasing new generations of vultures back into the wild. We followed them on their long trek to their new home.
It’s a dangerous undertaking: high in the Drakensberg mountains, rock climbers are in a desperate race against time. With less than 400 left in the wild, the Southern Bearded Vulture is critically endangered and an initiative to harvest their eggs could be the only way to save them from extinction.
JOIN THE #CARTEBLANCHE CONVERSATION
Please note: Carte Blanche line-ups are subject to change. Stories can be viewed at www.carteblanche.co.za
Facebook: Carte Blanche #CarteBlanche
Twitter / X: @carteblanchetv #CarteBlanche
Instagram: @carteblanchetv #CarteBlanche
Youtube: carteblancheTV #CarteBlanche
TikTok: @carteblanchetv101
Threads: carteblanchetv
