Coming up on Carte Blanche‎ on M-Net & M-Net HD [101], Sunday 17 March 2024 at 19:00.

The Stoep, the Waterpark and the Cricket Grounds
In the Eastern Cape, thousands suffer from severe malnutrition. It’s a condition that has led to the deaths of at least seven children in the province, and a crisis that requires significant funding and political will to resolve. But in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, home to one of the province’s biggest cities, the priority seems to be multi-million rand vanity projects that have become a financial drain on the municipality’s coffers. Despite being cash-strapped, the municipality established a development agency tasked with boosting tourism and economic development; an agency that is now cashing in on major projects funded by the municipality and its ratepayers. In East London, what should’ve been a world-class beachfront upgrade has disintegrated into nothing more than a glorified “stoep”, while the bill for the Waterworld Fun Park revamp has ballooned to an eye-watering R120 million. Carte Blanche investigates why an entity with a poor track record for delivery is still in business.

Producer: Catherine Rice
Presenter: Govan Whittles
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Budget Cut Woes
It’s something few parents of children with severe disabilities ever discuss – at least not openly: the personal toll measured in stress and frustration. In some homes, the burden can become so isolating and depressing that parents sometimes keep children locked indoors for days at a time. In the Western Cape, state-sponsored Iris House Children’s Hospice provides a vital free service that gives parents much-needed respite from the pressures of raising children with disabilities. But it’s a service under threat. By the end of April, drastic budget cuts across various departments and provinces threaten to substantially reduce Iris House’s income. And it’s not the only NGO facing an existential crisis. Carte Blanche investigates.

Producer: Liz Fish
Presenter: Erin Bates
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Aquanaut to Activist
Dr Sylvia Earle is a rockstar of marine biology and a leading pioneer in the exploration of our oceans. In 1979, she set a record for the deepest walk on the ocean floor, having detached from a submersible and explored underwater for two and a half hours. But Dr Earle couldn’t have imagined the crisis facing our oceans through over-fishing, pollution and climate change just a few decades after she began her pioneering work. Now 88 years old, Dr Earle is continuing her life’s mission: to advocate for ocean conservation and educate future generations about the role the seas play in shaping our climate. Carte Blanche meets this remarkable scientist.

Producer: Diana Lucas
Presenter: Erin Bates
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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.