{"id":20105,"date":"2023-10-13T14:29:41","date_gmt":"2023-10-13T12:29:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=20105"},"modified":"2023-10-13T14:29:45","modified_gmt":"2023-10-13T12:29:45","slug":"coming-up-on-carte-blanche-15-october-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2023\/10\/13\/coming-up-on-carte-blanche-15-october-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming Up On Carte Blanche – 15 October 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cIt began as a hypothesis: What if the gas leak that caused the explosion in downtown Joburg earlier this year resulted from artisanal mining? It\u2019s a question that might well be moot if the cause is something altogether less sinister. But a nagging suspicion remains. Is it possible that tens of thousands of zama zamas, steadily chipping away at the ground beneath the city, might one day cause catastrophic damage to its infrastructure? We went underground, into a dark, utterly alien world, in search of an answer.\u201d ~ <\/em>John Webb, Executive Producer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Israel-Hamas War<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Last week\u2019s sudden, deadly attacks by Hamas on Israel have been met by a declaration of war and near-relentless bombing of targets in Gaza by the Israeli military. It\u2019s a conflict that once more threatens to engulf the region with the drums of war sounding across the border in Lebanon and heightened fighting talk from the government of Iran. Elsewhere, pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrations have erupted in several cities, including Johannesburg. And, as the U.S. sends a navy battlegroup bristling with the latest in military technology to the region, the world braces for a conflict that might yet spread beyond the middle east. Carte Blanche reflects on the week\u2019s events and crosses to Tel Aviv for the latest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Laura Byrne<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=iJprgsCamJ8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Joburg Undermined<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the barren landscape of Joburg’s artisanal mining underworld, we explore the shafts and sewers where, slowly but surely, zama zamas are encroaching on the city\u2019s critical infrastructure. From makeshift bush kitchens to perilous underground tunnels excavated in search of gold, we reveal the harsh reality of their lives. These illegal miners are eking out a living underneath the City of Gold. But at what cost? As environmental decay and armed violence take their toll on Johannesburg, Carte Blanche heads underground and emerges with a disturbing answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Hein Kaiser | Presenter: Lourensa Eckard<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=y3QRwIYiw-E\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Unsung Hero<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When East London\u2019s Jono Kruger saw the grim reality of poverty early in his life, it changed him forever. Even before becoming a teacher, he founded an NGO to develop young people through sport. Last year, we told the story of what Jono and the pupils in his care managed to achieve through Sport for Lives, raising millions for schoolmates in need. Following our broadcast, a local benefactor stepped up to boost their mission. Now, boasting an additional 30 coaches, the organisation teaches literacy and sports in five schools every day. We celebrate a man who embodies the commitment not to turn away from suffering and instead pay every gain forward to drive personal and community transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Tarryn Crossman | Presenter: Masa Kekana<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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