{"id":25018,"date":"2026-09-11T15:15:21","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T13:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=25018"},"modified":"2026-09-11T15:15:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T13:15:21","slug":"coming-up-on-carte-blanche-13-september-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2026\/09\/11\/coming-up-on-carte-blanche-13-september-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming Up On Carte Blanche &#8211; 13 September 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cOur story on Amber-Rose\u2019s Channel crossing is remarkable for several reasons: first, she\u2019s a magnetic personality and an inspiration to the \u2018selfie\u2019 generation lulled into near-psychosis by social media. Second, it\u2019s a non-stop, eleven-hour swim for goodness\u2019 sake. And third, it&#8217;s a story filmed largely on cell phones and pieced together by a producer 10,000 km away.\u201d\u202f<\/em> <strong>&#8211; John Webb, Executive Producer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Illicit Trade: Fuel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A highly-organised illegal fuel market is undermining legitimate traders, infiltrating consumers\u2019 fuel tanks, and costing the country billions. Whether it\u2019s truck hijackings, border tax fraud, or &#8220;spiking&#8221; diesel with cheap paraffin, the shadow economy is highly profitable and increasingly popular. As stolen or spiked fuel is channelled into legitimate filling stations, honest businesses are forced out of operation, while ordinary drivers unknowingly fill up with bad fuel. Step inside the criminal economy costing the country billions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Producer: Ogilvy | Presenter: Govan Whittles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Whistleblower<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johannesburg is falling apart. But years ago, a whistleblower says she handed the City evidence of the syndicates bleeding it dry. From emergency vehicles to an unusable pound, she flagged a dozen contracts worth a total of R5 billion&#8230; Then she was dismissed. But what happened to the cases she reported? This year, senior City officials have faced scrutiny in the Madlanga Commission and parliamentary questions about Johannesburg&#8217;s failures of accountability. Could the crisis have been avoided?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Producer: Sasha Schwendenwein | Presenter: Lourensa Eckard<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Coming up on 13 September - The Crossing | Carte Blanche | M-Net\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/atPRuOEqXe8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Crossing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nothing stands between you and your goal except your own mind\u2026 and maybe the odd jellyfish. That\u2019s what Amber-Rose Berry demonstrated when she became the youngest South African woman ever to swim the English Channel, braving 43 km of cold, choppy salt water between England and France. She\u2019s one of around 2,000 people ever to make the crossing alone. But Amber is no stranger to challenges \u2013 or breaking records \u2013 and she\u2019s had her eye on this prize for a long time. Carte Blanche travels with Amber and her mom to Dover to tell her story in her own words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Producer: Tarryn Crossman<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">MISSED THESE MOMENTS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Russian Recruits: Bribe to Stay Alive | Carte Blanche | M-Net\" width=\"563\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8ewNRa2bGqc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bribe to Stay Alive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Prof Candace Rondeaux, many African recruits on the Russian front line are forced to pay bribes if they want to stay alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Waiting to Assist | Carte Blanche | M-Net\" width=\"563\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fmeVYKK54pU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Waiting to Assist<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Currently, Gift of the Givers is still waiting for Nepal government to invite them to assist with flood recovery and rescue operations. But they are ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Choose this Life | Carte Blanche | M-Net\" width=\"563\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iKggE8bSXxU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Choose This Life<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Junaid Benting&#8217;s a member of one of the area&#8217;s most notorious gangs. A self-confessed killer, he makes no attempt to hide the life he&#8217;s chosen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Blame the System | Carte Blanche | M-Net\" width=\"563\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mnknCx9fqDk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Blame the System<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once a promising law student, Magadien Wentzel turned to the gangs during Apartheid&#8217;s student riots, becoming a high-ranking member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Please note: Carte Blanche line-ups are subject to change. Stories can be viewed at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/m-net.dstv.com\/show\/carte-blanche\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.carteblanche.co.za<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Facebook:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carteblanchetv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Carte Blanche<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/search\/latest\/?q=%23carteblanche\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;#CarteBlanche<\/a><br \/>Bluesky:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/carteblanche.co.za\">@carteblanche.co.za<\/a><br \/>TikTok:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@carteblanchetv101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@carteblanchetv101<\/a><br \/>Youtube:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/carteblanchetv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">carteblancheTV #CarteBlanche<\/a><br \/>Instagram:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/carteblanchetv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@carteblanchetv<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/explore\/tags\/carteblanche\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;#CarteBlanche<\/a><br \/>Twitter \/ X:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/carteblanchetv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@carteblanchetv<\/a><br \/>Threads:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.net\/@carteblanchetv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">carteblanchetv<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cOur story on Amber-Rose\u2019s Channel crossing is remarkable for several reasons: first, she\u2019s a magnetic personality and an inspiration to the \u2018selfie\u2019 generation lulled into near-psychosis by social media. Second, it\u2019s a non-stop, eleven-hour swim for goodness\u2019 sake. And third, it&#8217;s a story filmed largely on cell phones and pieced together by a producer 10,000&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2026\/09\/11\/coming-up-on-carte-blanche-13-september-2026\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Coming Up On Carte Blanche &#8211; 13 September 2026<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24475,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[97,10],"tags":[65,21],"class_list":["post-25018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-online","category-television","tag-carte-blanche","tag-mnet","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/CarteBlanche2026-banner.jpg?fit=600%2C222&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25018"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25018\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25019,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25018\/revisions\/25019"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}