“While we go to great lengths to ensure accuracy in our reporting, we don’t consider ourselves beyond criticism. And nor should we be. But I remember the frustration of a particular online exchange between one of our presenters and the Northern Cape Premier, Zamani Saul. He claimed we’d been one-sided in our reporting on service delivery issues in Kimberely and was unnecessarily scathing. We recently discovered that the situation in some areas has, in fact, deteriorated, but setting the record straight with an indignant politician is cold comfort.” – John Webb, Executive Producer
Death in China
Jarred Clegg was just 26 years old when he moved to China to fulfil his dream of teaching English. Just months later, his mother received a devastating call: Jarred had died overseas. But even as she struggled to process her loss, she was baffled by conflicting accounts of his death. Was it natural, suspicious, or tragic accident? Meanwhile, authorities turned a cold shoulder to pleas for assistance in repatriating Jarred’s body. What happens when a South African citizen dies working abroad? It’s the story of a mysterious death, bureaucratic blunders, an unconventional solution and, most of all, a mother desperate for closure.
Producer: Sebe Buthelezi | Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli
Concrete Promises, Empty Ground
Last May, we met Nellie Frans in Roodepan just outside Kimberley. At 65 years old, she’s spent her life waiting for a proper home. Standing beside her shack, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a R1-billion housing project, while Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul assured us that construction would begin by the end of April 2024. Eighteen months on, as the Human Rights Commission probes provincial leadership, we return to ask: has the Premier kept his promise? Carte Blanche investigates a system on the brink of collapse.
Producer: Anina Peens | Presenter: Govan Whittles
Broken Promises: Northern Cape (2024)
In an informal settlement in the Northern Cape… Tannie Nellie Frans, an elderly woman who’s been living in the area for over 50 years, waits for promised government houses to be built across the road from her home. Her community has also been promised a new school and a hospital, something they’ve needed for years. Despite repeated promises, Tannie Nellie hasn’t seen a single contractor on the site. But in this province, unfulfilled promises are a regular feature of residents’ complaints and even the capital, Kimberley, hasn’t been spared. Government has neglected the water system for decades and national funding has been misused and mismanaged by both provincial and local governments.
Saving Sandfish
Every September, an ancient journey begins: the spawning migration of the sandfish. It’s a phenomenon rooted in cultural memory, immortalised in rock paintings… But it’s teetering on the brink of extinction. So, a diverse team of scientists, landowners and residents is working to give the sandfish a fighting chance. It’s a story about ordinary people fighting to preserve vanishing biodiversity; a meeting of science and myth, conservation and culture. Carte Blanche meets the team undertaking Africa’s largest freshwater fish rescue.
Producer: Catherine Rice | Presenter: Govan Whittles
STREAMING NOW
The Fake Vet
Your beloved dog falls ill – you’re desperate for help. What could be better than an affordable mobile vet? That’s what the Cape Town vet in this story offered to delighted pet owners. But Eric Du Preez’s unconventional remedies soon raised suspicions. It seemed this vet was not what he claimed to be. So, how do you catch a fraudulent vet red-handed? You invite him to a job interview, of course! Watch the full story now on DStv Stream and Catch Up.
High on Ink
Like all our cash-strapped municipalities, most of Joburg’s service delivery problems are visible on its crumbling, potholed surface. Despite some welcome change in recent weeks, the stagnated roadworks, burst water pipes, and broken traffic lights are impossible to ignore. This is another story about a lack of transparency, non-existent asset management, and millions of rands wasted. But just wait until you find out what that money has been wasted on… Get the full story now on DStv Stream.
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