Coming up on Carte Blanche‎ on M-Net & M-Net HD [101], Sunday 03 March 2024 at 19:00.

Paying for Air
Johannesburg ratepayers are fed up. For years, residents have fought the City over exorbitant municipal bills. Then the municipality implemented what it calls “water shifting”: switching off some suburbs’ water to supply others. This left residents without water for hours and sometimes even days at a time. But instead of water bills decreasing, many increased dramatically. In several cases, desperate residents checked their meters and found them spinning out of control despite there being no water in the pipes. Carte Blanche investigates why scores of households are literally paying for the air in their water pipes, instead of the water they consume.

Producer: Sasha Schwendenwein
Presenter: Claire Mawisa
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Failure to Act
In April 2019, a newborn baby died after a trusted midwife failed to react when the infant displayed signs of distress in the womb. But this wasn’t the midwife’s first victim, or her last. In almost a decade, several children have either died or been severely disabled, allegedly because of this midwife’s actions. And despite losing her licence, she is still practicing. So, why has the South African Nursing Council (SANC), the regulatory body responsible for holding her accountable, failed to stop this registered nurse from operating? And did the Council do enough to prevent this well-known midwife from hurting more mothers and their children?

Producer: Tarryn Crossman
Presenter: Masa Kekana
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Soccer Grannies
In a community stadium in Nkowankowa, Limpopo a group of soccer players converges on the field and the game begins. But this is no ordinary football match. Among the players is eighty-something-year-old Mama Annah “Bull” Bvuma, known as a fierce defender. Like her, the other players are all elderly and, while they might seem frail, they’re just as competitive as athletes half (or even a third) their age. The Vakhegula Football Club has become a firm favourite with both local and international spectators. Many of these women have travelled around the world playing in the Soccer Grannies World Championships. Carte Blanche meets the old ladies from rural communities who are taking to the beautiful game.

Producer: Tarryn Crossman
Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli
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Carte Blanche: The Podcast
Unique stories. Unique perspectives. Carte Blanche: The Podcast delves beneath the headlines into South African and global issues, bringing you the stories that matter. Like what you hear? Drop us a rating or review.

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Please note Carte Blanche line-ups are subject to change.