{"id":20798,"date":"2023-12-15T15:20:51","date_gmt":"2023-12-15T13:20:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=20798"},"modified":"2023-12-15T15:20:54","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T13:20:54","slug":"coming-up-on-carte-blanche-17-december-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2023\/12\/15\/coming-up-on-carte-blanche-17-december-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming Up On Carte Blanche – 17 December 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cI\u2019m old enough to remember when Marthinus van Schalkwyk was our environment minister. \u00a0He once held a press conference on top of Table Mountain (for reasons never entirely understood) in which he declared a clampdown on breeding lions in captivity. \u00a0Years later, the industry is as controversial and shambolic as it\u2019s ever been, and our lions continue paying the price.\u201d <\/em>~ John Webb, Executive Producer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=AzEdQMKtZ1o\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lions in Laos<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In September, a South African lion farmer sent a shipment of ten healthy lions to the East Asian country of Laos \u2013 a sale that raised the alarm for animal activists. In Laos, tigers have been hunted to extinction, but their body parts are still in high demand in traditional medicine and used in a fine wine. But with the supply in the tiger bone market shrinking, alternatives are being sought in South Africa. Activists believe that the shipment of lions was destined to be killed to feed the country\u2019s growing tiger bone industry. It\u2019s a complex story where lion bones are used to supplement the tiger bone market. But was the farmer aware that the shipment of lions would be killed in Laos? Carte Blanche investigates and what we find, suggests that these lions were deliberately sent to their deaths.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Sasha Schwendenwein | Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=fxX8-Uu34-Y\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Backyard Gold<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The crackdown on illegal miners, or so-called zama zamas, in Gauteng is heating up as investigators continue to apply pressure on smalltime syndicates. But the kingpins are moving on, approaching private landowners with financial offers they can\u2019t refuse. The criminals rent a plot of land, then set up small refineries \u2013 complete with equipment and staff. Bags of gold-rich soil, dug up by zama zamas, are transported to these refineries, turning a simple backyard into a small mining operation. Carte Blanche investigates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Kate Barry | Presenter: Masa Kekana<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=JvUZ57h0qp8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Maintenance Misery<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In a country where many children live with single parents, South Africa\u2019s maintenance courts are in shambles. Across the country, these courts operate within a severely broken system that allegedly makes it difficult for single parents to get assistance. Most applicants are mothers desperate to get financial support to care for their children. But instead of help, they\u2019re often met with a hostility from inefficient court officials. Many women allege that they\u2019ve they had to open several cases with numerous officials because their files often disappear. Carte Blanche investigates.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Tebadi Mmotla | Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=5QDzFAcJurg\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Doyenne of Drama<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For the past 35 years, Janice Honeyman has signalled the start of the festive season with her unforgettable pantomimes. It\u2019s a genre all on its own; a feel-good formula where good always triumphs over evil. It has brought lightness and fun to South African families.\u202fBut Honeyman has also produced and directed some of South Africa’s most groundbreaking theatre, too. The edgy musical Hair \u2013 long banned for its nude scenes and psychedelic undertones \u2013 and The Colour Purple with themes of humanity, decimation of human rights and darkness we all carry.\u202fIt’s a celebration of a theatrical shapeshifter, an entertainer that, on the one hand, made us laugh and sing for decades while, at her opposite, made us think and explore ourselves.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Hein Kaiser | Presenter: Xola Ntshinga<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CARTE BLANCHE: THE PODCAST<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

2024 is Gonna Be Hot!  <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

And we\u2019re not just talking about the potential impact of El Ni\u00f1o\u2026 We look at some of the biggest events on the political calendar – both locally and internationally. One big question: is the world inching closer towards multipolarity and what would that mean for South Africa? There\u2019s also the very real matter of coalitions, while a handful of political bigwigs are set to face the music in court in the first half of 2024. The year hasn\u2019t even started and we\u2019re already exhausted at the mere thought of what\u2019s to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n