{"id":21312,"date":"2024-02-23T15:16:27","date_gmt":"2024-02-23T13:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=21312"},"modified":"2024-02-23T15:16:32","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T13:16:32","slug":"coming-up-on-carte-blanche-25-february-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2024\/02\/23\/coming-up-on-carte-blanche-25-february-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming Up On Carte Blanche – 25 February 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a moment etched in my memory: a gifted – if academically challenged – teammate in the under-13 rugby team, jinking and side-stepping his way through opponents left clutching at fresh air. A small crowd of parents hollering and whooping from the sidelines, and the sheer acrobatic grace as he left his feet and dived over the line. It was a feat of athletic prowess I doubt my school has witnessed since. At least, it would have been, had he not dotted the ball down in the 22-metre area rather than over the tryline. Decades later, it seems exactly the kind of sporting IQ the Msunduzi Local Municipality values most in the athletes it chooses to sponsor.\u201d – John Webb, Executive Producer<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=o8bLZgw9ZYo\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

PetroSA\u2019s Plush New Deal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PetroSA, South Africa\u2019s state-owned oil and gas company, has successfully hidden most of its bad investments over the years. By 2020, poor decisions at the secretive company had wasted billions and almost closed it down. But it was given a lifeline when Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe – determined to save PetroSA – insisted Eskom buy its diesel from the parastatal. Now, it\u2019s on a new drive to partner with private business. A recent contract with the Russian Gazprom Bank has caused a stir, but a far larger deal (signed in secret) will make a controversial businessman a major player in the oil and gas industry. We lift the lid on this new profit-sharing deal in the oil and gas fields off the Southern Cape Coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Joy Summers | Presenter: Masa Kekana<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Msunduzi\u2019s Own Goal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In Pietermaritzburg, in the Msunduzi Local Municipality, rubbish lies uncollected on the streets for weeks at a time. In this once-bustling capital city, the putrid stench of urine hangs in the air: a disturbing sign of the city\u2019s decay. Sewage leaks and water pipeline bursts have become common while the supply of electricity has reached a crisis point. The municipality owes Eskom millions, but its coffers are dry. So, why did the mayor sign a multi-million rand deal to sponsor a PSL football team for the next three years? It\u2019s a decision that has residents and business owners outraged.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Carol Albertyn Christie | Presenter: Govan Whittles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Antarctica\u2019s Hidden Clues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Huddled together on an Antarctic ice sheet, a colony of emperor penguins feed and raise their chicks. But like so many other animals living on the southernmost continent, their lives are increasingly impacted by global warming. These birds are an important piece of the puzzle as scientists study our rapidly changing climate. Antarctica is shrinking as rising ocean temperatures steadily thaw the glaciers that have been frozen for millennia. Carte Blanche travelled to Antarctica to meet researchers and scientists who are studying this ice-covered continent for new clues to help save our planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer & Presenter: Lourensa Eckard<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

We Are on Our Own<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Usindiso Inquiry continues and it highlights the City of Joburg\u2019s many failings. The death of an 11-year-old boy shines the spotlight on unfinished building projects across the country. Then, a feel-good update on a story that left many of our followers seeing red. And conservation news reminds us what we are capable of if we work together. But first, it\u2019s the dreaded Budget week where we are given a sobering overview of the country\u2019s finances. However, if the ANC\u2019s recent comments on loadshedding and state capture are anything to go by, it seems we\u2019re very much on our own\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n