{"id":21581,"date":"2024-04-05T14:48:35","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T12:48:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=21581"},"modified":"2024-04-05T14:48:40","modified_gmt":"2024-04-05T12:48:40","slug":"coming-up-on-carte-blanche-7-april-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2024\/04\/05\/coming-up-on-carte-blanche-7-april-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming Up On Carte Blanche – 7 April 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cGibson Nzimande and I have something in common: we\u2019re both graduates of the University of Johannesburg. That, though, is where the similarity ends. I left with a degree in politics and philosophy. In other words, the ability to think deep thoughts about being unemployed, as someone famous once said. I had a bit of money, a bed in a res, and a reasonably reliable VW Beetle. Gibson had none of that and, at the depths of his many challenges, had to study by the light of a petrol station forecourt. And, whereas I left university with what some cruelly – but not necessarily unreasonably – call a Bugger-All degree, Gibson is rising to the very pinnacle of academia. He deserves every ounce of the admiration I\u2019m sure Sunday\u2019s insert will generate.\u201c – John Webb, Executive Producer<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=feKDzCe-3g0\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Psychiatric Healthcare in Shambles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the Northern Cape, government built what should\u2019ve been a functional, modern, state-run mental healthcare facility. It was the long-awaited fulfilment of a promise to those in need of mental healthcare service in a province desperate for psychiatric facilities. But five years after it was finally opened, whistleblowers have come forward describing a facility that\u2019s in urgent need of attention. And for once, a lack of funds isn\u2019t the problem. Documents and images obtained by Carte Blanche show how the mismanagement of funds by the Northern Cape Department of Health and the hospital are eating away at the budget meant for vulnerable patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Jana Marx | Presenter: Erin Bates<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Court in the Middle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the Eastern Cape, a fierce battle is brewing in the legal fraternity. A highly contested report has recommended that the seat of the Eastern Cape High Court be moved from Makhanda \u2013 formerly known as Grahamstown \u2013 to the province\u2019s capital city, Bhisho. It\u2019s a move that many in Makhanda didn\u2019t see coming, and residents believe it will turn the struggling community into a ghost town. Research suggests that if the move goes ahead, one-third of Makhanda\u2019s businesses will lose so many customers that they\u2019ll have to shut down, and the unemployment rate will skyrocket. So, why would government risk destroying this historical town? Carte Blanche investigates.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/i8xN-gTiMF4\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Waste Picker to Graduate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On the streets of Johannesburg, waste pickers have become a familiar sight. They\u2019re an army of recyclers, often homeless, who sort through the city\u2019s growing rubbish piles. Their working conditions are harsh and living on the streets is brutal. But Gibson Nzimande, a young man with a lifelong dream to become a university professor, didn\u2019t allow his dire circumstances to prevent him from reaching for two university degrees. He had nowhere to live but, with the help of a bursary to pay for his fees, he spent every night at a nearby petrol station studying to achieve qualifications that few South Africans can dream of, let alone afford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Jabulile Mbatha | Presenter: Claire Mawisa<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Of Colleges and Coffee<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A private education giant has fallen, leaving devastated students and parents in its wake. The ANC finds itself between a rock and a hard place as the National Speaker faces prison time. Later, we reflect on a few stories that made us question reality. And how an invasive plant is bringing hope to families in the Northern Cape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n