{"id":21419,"date":"2024-03-15T12:33:14","date_gmt":"2024-03-15T10:33:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=21419"},"modified":"2024-03-22T11:26:27","modified_gmt":"2024-03-22T09:26:27","slug":"coming-up-on-carte-blanche-17-march-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2024\/03\/15\/coming-up-on-carte-blanche-17-march-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming Up On Carte Blanche – 17 March 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cAh, election year; when parties of various persuasions invoke the spirits of luminaries past to bolster their prospects at the polls. Yes, ballot season means regular reminders of the prophetic wisdom of Madiba, Sisulu, Tambo, and Suzman (dare I say Sankara?) and the parties with which they\u2019d most closely associate today. No doubt some will lean on the teachings of Steve Biko to gain traction with a disillusioned electorate. And when they do, perhaps we should point them in the direction of Qonce (formerly King Williams Town) where Biko was buried, and what it has become.\u201d – John Webb, Executive Producer<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The Stoep, the Waterpark and the Cricket Grounds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the Eastern Cape, thousands suffer from severe malnutrition. It\u2019s a condition that has led to the deaths of at least seven children in the province, and a crisis that requires significant funding and political will to resolve. But in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, home to one of the province\u2019s biggest cities, the priority seems to be multi-million rand vanity projects that have become a financial drain on the municipality\u2019s coffers. Despite being cash-strapped, the municipality established a development agency tasked with boosting tourism and economic development; an agency that is now cashing in on major projects funded by the municipality and its ratepayers. In East London, what should\u2019ve been a world-class beachfront upgrade has disintegrated into nothing more than a glorified \u201cstoep\u201d, while the bill for the Waterworld Fun Park revamp has ballooned to an eye-watering R120 million. Carte Blanche investigates why an entity with a poor track record for delivery is still in business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Catherine Rice | Presenter: Govan Whittles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=Fa0jqK0v1A8\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Budget Cut Woes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s something few parents of children with severe disabilities ever discuss \u2013 at least not openly: the personal toll measured in stress and frustration. In some homes, the burden can become so isolating and depressing that parents sometimes keep children locked indoors for days at a time. In the Western Cape, state-sponsored Iris House Children\u2019s Hospice provides a vital free service that gives parents much-needed respite from the pressures of raising children with disabilities. But it\u2019s a service under threat. By the end of April, drastic budget cuts across various departments and provinces threaten to substantially reduce Iris House\u2019s income. And it\u2019s not the only NGO facing an existential crisis. Carte Blanche investigates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Liz Fish | Presenter: Erin Bates<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=zC4f87gTUNU\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Aquanaut to Activist<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dr Sylvia Earle is a rockstar of marine biology and a leading pioneer in the exploration of our oceans. In 1979, she set a record for the deepest walk on the ocean floor, having detached from a submersible and explored underwater for two and a half hours. But Dr Earle couldn\u2019t have imagined the crisis facing our oceans through over-fishing, pollution and climate change just a few decades after she began her pioneering work. Now 88 years old, Dr Earle is continuing her life\u2019s mission: to advocate for ocean conservation and educate future generations about the role the seas play in shaping our climate. Carte Blanche meets this remarkable scientist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Diana Lucas | Presenter: Erin Bates<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

All is Not Well with SA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

All is not well with Knysna, and a 109-page report tries to explain why. You\u2019ve heard of state capture. But are we entering an era of media capture? Then, the High Court says no to anti-vaxxers. Later, how one mining giant is playing its part in reviving Mpumalanga\u2019s rivers. And the country has been gripped by the heartbreaking case of young Joshlin Smith. Following arrests last week, we look at the state\u2019s case and how online sleuths perhaps took things too far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n