“Many years ago, I reported on the construction of a fish processing plant in Hout Bay aimed at uplifting the local community. Its backers included a group of apparently politically connected locals whose motives, it was alleged, weren’t entirely altruistic. Unsurprisingly, the plant is now among several derelict buildings dotted around a harbour in sad decline. And yet the thought of it becoming “another V&A” – replete with fast food chains, handbag boutiques, and nose-ringed baristas – seems an act of sterile commercialisation rather than salvation.” – John Webb, Executive Producer
Hout Bay Harbour Revisited
It’s one of the most-visited tourist spots in Cape Town, beloved of those seeking traditional fish and chips in the setting of an authentic fishing town. Businesses are family-run, many with stories stretching decades into the town’s past. But Hout Bay is struggling. The harbour is clogged with wrecked boats; vandals eat away at neglected buildings. Worst of all, tenants, denied the stability of long-term leases, are forced to work year to year, unable to plan for the future. Meanwhile, government touts a major development plan that it says could bring in billions. But can family businesses hold out for the promised development? We pin down the Minister of Public Works and ask: what place will small businesses have in the Hout Bay of the future?
Producer: Liz Fish | Presenter: Govan Whittles
Under the Counter
They come in their hundreds, day in and day out: smugglers, hauling illegal cigarettes across the border. On the ground, a warzone as landowners face a choice: pack up and go, turn a blind eye, or take a cut. A multibillion-rand criminal economy is bleeding the nation’s coffers dry. South Africa’s illicit cigarette trade outperforms the legal market, robbing the state of billions every year in lost taxes. Corruption and porous borders keep the trade thriving, despite government promises to crack down. From the border to spaza shop counters, we trace the illicit cigarette trade and lift the lid on the hidden supply chain that keeps it alive.
Producer: Nicky Troll | Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli
Sky Hustlers
It’s an unlikely battlefield for power, prestige and profit: not Parliament, not a protest, but a pigeon coop. Pigeon racing isn’t a quirky side hustle – it’s a multimillion-rand obsession. And traditionally, it’s the playground of the elite. But from backyards and car boots, a new generation of champions is rising as township kids breed winning birds – with none of the pedigree. They’re raising syndicates on sponsorships, upending a bloodline sport and getting ready to take on an old guard that never saw them coming. It’s a story about how legacy is built – or stolen. The story of a turf war, in the sky.
Producer: Latashia Naidoo | Presenter: Govan Whittles
COMING SOON
Failure to Prosecute
Many stories stay with us long after they’re over, sometimes because they remain unresolved. Victims wait for justice while those we expose walk free. This is a glimpse of an upcoming story that’s all too familiar to us – and maybe for you, as well. It was more than two years ago that we first brought you the story of a lawyer allegedly preying on vulnerable children in rural Eastern Cape. Claiming to represent children born with cerebral palsy, he won millions in damages from the Department of Health. But the children and their caretakers were left in poverty while he allegedly pocketed millions. Where is he today? And what has happened to the families left suffering as they await justice?
NOW STREAMING
Crossfire or Cover-Up?
Imagine driving home with your family at night and suddenly finding yourself in the middle of a shootout. That’s what happened to the Ismail family five years ago. They were told they were caught in a crossfire, but the evidence raises more questions than answers. Despite a stalled investigation, the family hasn’t given up their quest for justice and continues to ask questions of the very people whose job it is to protect us. Get the full story now on DStv Stream.
Deadly Shark Nets
It’s no wonder so many of us are terrified of sharks when they’re often portrayed as man-eating monsters. Despite how they’re depicted in movies, these predators are a vital part of complex and fragile ocean ecosystems. And now they’re under threat. Commercial fishing, poaching, competition for food… These are just some of the challenges sharks face in the modern world. But this story shows how some of the pressure along our coast is coming from a publicly funded system built with human safety in mind. Find out more on DStv Stream.
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