{"id":20840,"date":"2023-12-29T16:04:48","date_gmt":"2023-12-29T14:04:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=20840"},"modified":"2023-12-29T16:04:50","modified_gmt":"2023-12-29T14:04:50","slug":"coming-up-on-carte-blanche-31-december-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2023\/12\/29\/coming-up-on-carte-blanche-31-december-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming Up On Carte Blanche – 31 December 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s been a challenging year. The loss of our dear colleague, Derek, dealt our team a hammer blow for which we were emotionally unprepared and from which we\u2019ve yet to properly recover. But it\u2019s also been a year in which South Africans have continued to surprise and inspire us with their courage and creativity. So, from a biker making a \u2018thong\u2019 and dance about giraffes to the glorious homecoming of our world record-setting Springboks, this weekend\u2019s rebroadcast of some of this year\u2019s stories reminds us that, for as long as there are Siyas, Skinnys and Graces among us, hope springs eternal. <\/em>~ John Webb, Executive Producer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=H_9kuD18mJE\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Holy Sheep<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

He was a model citizen in the farming community of Barkly East in the Eastern Cape. A God-fearing commercial farmer with a loyal circle of friends. He was wealthy, too, by all accounts and promised similar riches for some of his closest friends and several others from a lucrative investment project. It was a simple blueprint: his investors would buy cattle and sheep and he would farm them on their behalf. Leaning on their shared religious devotion, his investment base grew impressively and his scheme blossomed into a multi-million-rand operation. Then, as they so often do, things turned sour and what appeared a legitimate and profitable business imploded. The investors, the majority of whom are pensioners, lost everything. Carte Blanche investigates.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Anina Peens | Presenter: Govan Whittles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Champion\u2019s Return<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In scenes reminiscent of the Springboks\u2019 victorious return from the 2019 World Cup tournament in Japan, South Africans \u2013 loud and proud \u2013 rolled out the red carpet for our heroes at OR Tambo International Airport earlier this year. Thousands of people, singing and dancing, celebrated the Boks\u2019 triumph in lifting the Webb Ellis Cup for a historic fourth time; only the second team ever to win back-to-back World Cup victories. As skipper Siya Kolisi and his team unites young and old, Carte Blanche examines how the Springboks have inspired a nation.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Stenette Grosskopf | Presenter: Govan Whittles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Shooting for Success<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Delareyville in the North West is one of the most forgotten towns in the country. It\u2019s a community beset with teenage pregnancy and drug abuse, where young girls fall prey to devious predators. But one woman is determined to change that by building a generation of confident and resilient young women. And she\u2019s using a popular school sport to do it. Carte Blanche examines how Grace Tshiping is using netball to empower girls and keep them off the streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Floris Kotze | Presenter: Claire Mawisa<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=D942U2v10zE\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Gearing Up for Greatness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tough to break into and even tougher to succeed in, motorcycle racing is one of the most competitive sports in the world.\u202fBut at ten years old, Kgopotso Mononyane \u2013 affectionately known as KJ \u2013 knew that he had a need for speed. With his hand on the throttle, he\u2019s spent the last five years honing his skills to become one of the best rookie motorcyclists in the country. Now, he\u2019s racing in the memory of the man who started it all: his father. Carte Blanche meets this extraordinary racer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Floris Kotze | Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=nGSKry3_sjc\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cheeky Bikers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Skinny van Schalkwyk is no ordinary woman. A self-declared \u201cbiker chick\u201d, she bought her first motorbike \u2013 a pink Yamaha R6 \u2013 almost two decades ago and has never looked back. From track racing to epic adventure rides and stunts, Skinny lives for the roar of her bike\u2019s engine and the freedom it brings. But she also has a deep love for the outdoors and, six years ago \u2013 together with her \u201csidekick\u201d, Chikita \u2013 started the annual Anti-Pants, Anti-Poaching bike rally. It\u2019s an off-the-wall way of contributing to nature conservation. This year, more than 200 trouserless bikers joined them to contribute much-needed cash to the protection of giraffe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Stenette Grosskopf | Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli<\/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