{"id":22959,"date":"2024-09-13T12:31:08","date_gmt":"2024-09-13T10:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=22959"},"modified":"2024-09-13T12:31:10","modified_gmt":"2024-09-13T10:31:10","slug":"coming-up-on-carte-blanche-15-september-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2024\/09\/13\/coming-up-on-carte-blanche-15-september-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming Up On Carte Blanche – 15 September 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cInserts about wildlife and the environment are notoriously tricky to produce, not least because of the entrenched opinions on each side of a particular debate.\u00a0Our experience has been that a defensive politician is far easier to handle than a righteously indignant activist. Then again, good luck to them. Without their passionate dedication, where would conservation be in this country? Thankfully, Sunday\u2019s story about Duma (formerly Charley) the elephant – while not controversy-free – is unlikely to divide opinion.\u00a0Except perhaps on whether Sinatra\u2019s \u2018My Way\u2019 is ever likely to be an elephant\u2019s favourite song.\u201d\u00a0– <\/em>John Webb, Executive Producer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Missing Mega City<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cosmo City in Gauteng is government\u2019s flagship mega city housing development. Initiated in 2001, it\u2019s home to tens of thousands of residents living in well-built, mixed-income housing units. It has schools, parks, shopping malls, and churches: a haven for many people in need of housing. In 2014, government attempted to recreate the success of Cosmo City, investing billions of rands into dozens of so-called mega cities across the country. Montrose Mega City Development, on the outskirts of former gold mining town Randfontein, is one of them. It should\u2019ve been a state-of-the-art home, place of work and transport hub for residents of nearby informal settlements. But it seems one shady developer secured the multi-billion rand tender… then disappeared, leaving a trail of unpaid contractors and incomplete buildings. Carte Blanche investigates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Harri Vithi | Presenter: Claire Mawisa<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bulungula: Paradise Under Threat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Wild Coast is a remote paradise that attracts tourists from around the world. It\u2019s a rugged part of the country that is still overwhelmingly rural, with some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. But in recent months, this paradise has been haunted by violence. A wave of brutal attacks on residents has left the community reeling. Most recently, well-known community developers Dave Martin and his wife Rejane Woodroffe were violently attacked in their home, beaten up, and kidnapped by their assailants. The community is concerned that criminals from outside the area are infiltrating the once-peaceful villages… with a potentially devastating impact on tourism in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Catherine Rice | Presenter: Masa Kekana<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Duma\u2019s Last Home<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On a private game reserve in Limpopo, an adult elephant gleefully takes his first step into a mud bath as a group of delighted observers cheers him on. It\u2019s a taste of freedom for Duma the elephant, and a victory for the conservationists who have worked tirelessly to get this much-loved retiree into his new home. But Duma wasn\u2019t always known by this name. For decades, he was Charley, spending much of his life as a circus performer before becoming the star attraction at the National Zoo in Pretoria. For the last three years, he has been the only elephant at the zoo. Now, after a nationwide petition to retire Charley, and months of meticulous planning, he has finally reached his new home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Joy Summers | Presenter: Claire Mawisa<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Crime Crisis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In this special crime-focused extended episode, we ask how a Memorandum of Understanding can potentially turn the tide against crime in the Western Cape. Then, no one is safe from extortion rackets – not even schools… Later, why are food poisoning incidents on the rise? And how one man turned personal tragedy into triumph for hundreds of disabled children nationwide. But first, amaPanyaza is here to stay! Why is Panyaza Lesufi not willing to let go of his beloved crime prevention unit?<\/p>\n\n\n\n