{"id":23221,"date":"2025-01-10T17:56:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-10T15:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=23221"},"modified":"2025-01-10T17:56:02","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T15:56:02","slug":"coming-up-on-carte-blanche-12-january-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2025\/01\/10\/coming-up-on-carte-blanche-12-january-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming Up On Carte Blanche – 12 January 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cThere comes a point when you wonder whether stories about the collapse of municipal services are worth the effort. At what point will our viewers grow weary of yet another potholed road, burst water pipe or unrepaired substation?\u00a0Has our audience become so inured to the reality of non-delivery that it no longer cares to be reminded of its extent? I fear it has. But when reports of exploding electricity boxes and a hospital functioning on little to no power reach our desks, we\u2019re compelled to investigate.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>– John Webb, Executive Producer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Taken for a Ride<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the Free State, a small-town mayor is racking up the kilometres on expensive car rentals and exorbitant fuel costs while taxpayers foot the bill. In Nketoana Municipality, Mayor Mamiki Mokoena is under investigation for spending thousands of rands on fuel and rental vehicles, despite strong evidence that wherever she was going had nothing to do with her actual responsibilities. Across the municipality, several multi-million rand infrastructure tenders are almost at a standstill.  In just one month this year, she reportedly travelled close to 7000 kilometres in a rented luxury 4X4. But when last did she inspect any of these critical municipal projects? So, where was the mayor travelling to?  It’s a story of abuse of power told through the odometer, and the numbers simply don\u2019t add up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Harri Vithi | Presenter: Govan Whittles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Komani in the Dark<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Komani (formerly Queenstown) in the Eastern Cape was once a thriving community. But for years, the Enoch Mgijima Municipality has been in crisis. Komani’s infrastructure is rapidly deteriorating while the municipality racks up millions in fruitless expenditures. In 2019, the municipality was placed under administration which should\u2019ve stopped the decline. But today, Komani is a shadow of its former glory as some areas \u2013 including the provincial hospital \u2013 endure weeks without power. Since 2020, the municipality’s Eskom debt has skyrocketed from R350 million to R1.4 billion, meaning a large portion of its funds are consumed by debt repayment and staff salaries, and very little is left for critical service delivery. As National Treasury approves a billion-rand bailout for the municipality, can Komani be saved?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Sasha Schwendenwein | Presenter: Masa Kekana<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chasing the Sun<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It was a science experiment born out of necessity. A group of Stellenbosch University students and academics wanted to run tests on a Kenyan-built electric motorbike. However, the bike first had to be transported from Nairobi to the university campus. Since standard couriers weren’t feasible, the team devised a plan to drive the motorbike themselves across six African countries. With no charging stations on the route, they custom-built a pop-up travelling solar array to keep the batteries going on solar power alone. It’s a stunt they hope will raise awareness about the potential for electric vehicles in Africa, and champion local skills in a fast-growing global industry. But most of all, it was a life-changing adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Marion Edmunds | Presenter: Erin Bates<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PICKS OF THE WEEK<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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