Coming up on Carte Blanche on M-Net & M-Net HD [101], Sunday 15 January 2023 at 19:00.
Boksburg Blast Investigation
It was early morning at the Tambo Memorial Hospital, still quiet for a Saturday. But the nursing staff were changing shifts, gearing up for the expected influx of trauma patients after Christmas Eve celebrations. Most residents in the Boksburg suburb of Plantation in Gauteng were likely still sleeping. As they slept, a liquefied petroleum gas tanker got stuck under a bridge – just a hundred odd metres from the hospital. Despite the hour, it still attracted curious onlookers. The tank was slowly leaking gas into the air – inevitable catastrophe moments away. The driver tried desperately to get people away from the truck while frantic calls for emergency assistance went unanswered. The fire department eventually arrived, but the police and the Ekurhuleni Metro Police didn’t show up until it was too late. Less than two hours after getting stuck, the tanker exploded, killing scores of people. Many more would succumb to their wounds later. Among the dead were workers from the Tambo Memorial Hospital. Could the tragedy have been avoided? Carte Blanche investigates those crucial minutes before the tanker exploded and discovers that lives could likely have been saved.
Producer: Hein Kaiser
Presenter: Claire Mawisa
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Kannaland’s Civic Convicts
It’s a collection of dusty Karoo hamlets known for their picturesque beauty. But, as in many small towns around the country, the Kannaland Municipality is failing its residents. More shocking than the non-delivery of basic services is that the municipality is being run by convicted criminals. The halls of its municipal buildings are walked by two convicted child rapists and a fraudster, all wielding significant influence. Yes, Kannaland’s new Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Municipal Manager are all men with questionable pasts, their criminal records no hindrance to high office. Carte Blanche investigates.
Producer: Latashia Naidoo
Presenter: Masa Kekana
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The Art of Neglect
It was a flagrant heist: a man walks into a prestigious art gallery in broad daylight, removes a painting from its walls, dumps the frame, and then simply walks out. No one so much as raising an eyebrow. But what seemed a brazen act of criminality was actually an experiment aimed at testing the security at the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG), Africa’s largest. It boasts thousands of works including pieces by Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Gerard Sekoto, Walter Battiss, William Kentridge, and Sydney Kumalo. The collection is valued at between R500 million and R1 billion, but the gallery is now a shadow of its former glory. Derelict, dilapidated and in total disrepair with empty exhibit halls, crumbling walls and closed-off areas. Carte Blanche exposes the rot.
Producer: Eugene Botha
Presenter: Bongani Bingwa
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Carte Blanche: The Podcast
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