{"id":23827,"date":"2025-07-18T16:17:40","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T14:17:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=23827"},"modified":"2025-07-18T16:20:41","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T14:20:41","slug":"coming-up-on-carte-blanche-20-july-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2025\/07\/18\/coming-up-on-carte-blanche-20-july-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming Up On Carte Blanche – 20 July 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a challenging few weeks for our country.  Many of us will feel more than a little discomforted by the notion that the rule of law has almost entirely disintegrated. But just when you thought you\u2019d heard it all, we introduce you to an undertaker accused of burying the departed in unmarked graves and handing to the families ashes of unknown origin that may or may not be human. Eish!\u201d – John Webb, Executive Producer<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/FJYuNR8o48U\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Engineers Set Free<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After two harrowing years imprisoned in Equatorial Guinea, two South African engineers are finally back home. Peter Huxham and Frik Potgieter were arrested in February 2023 in an apparent political tit-for-tat after South African courts seized a super yacht and two high-end Cape Town properties belonging to the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea. The men were convicted on trumped-up drug charges and sentenced to twelve years in a high-security jail \u2013 for a crime they didn\u2019t commit. But their families never stopped calling for their release\u2026 and finally, the men were pardoned by the President of Equatorial Guinea. It’s a story of anguish, uncertainty \u2013 and unwavering hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Annalise Lubbe | Presenter: Erin Bates<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/e3XwxCb1Hsw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Buried Lies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Families in mourning receive shocking news: the remains they\u2019ve received are not their loved ones. Are these the ashes of a stranger, or something else entirely? And where are the bodies buried? A year ago, a dozen grieving families were alerted to an alleged funeral services scam involving faked documents, mystery ashes \u2013 and a burial in a paupers\u2019 grave. But a year later, city officials are no longer taking their calls. As families remain in painful limbo, unable to exhume their relatives or even mark their final resting places, Carte Blanche <\/strong><\/em>asks: who is responsible? And how can these families find closure?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/Y8PH37Ozv5w\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Small Town: Philippolis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When the Great Karoo through road was built between Johannesburg and Cape Town in the 1970s, it bypassed the Free State\u2019s oldest settlement town. No tourist trap, no motels, no job bonanza for locals. Three petrol stations dwindled to one. Buildings and farms were abandoned. But the omission has turned out to be a blessing in disguise… This little dorp\u202fhas\u202fretained its old-world charm, mingled with an air of benevolent neglect. Philippolis has always attracted interesting characters and today it\u2019s a popular semigration location. From a pianist of international repute who plays the church organ each Sunday, to a entrepreneurial beekeeper, and a jail that once housed prisoners of war. There\u2019s plenty to discover in this small town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Producer: Diana Lucas | Presenter: Claire Mawisa<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOW STREAMING<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n