Coming up on Carte Blanche‎ on M-Net & M-Net HD [101], Sunday 18 May 2025 at 19:00

Refugee Roulette
Backlogs, red tape and exploitation: that’s what greets asylum seekers at South Africa’s borders. The law requires refugees to renew their applications every three months. But it’s not enough to jump through hoops: it’s pay up, or get out. As Home Affairs juggles a backlog that’s left tens of thousands in limbo, we uncover a web of corrupt officials and agents allegedly exploiting those fleeing conflict and persecution in their home countries. And as deportation looms, families who have called South Africa their home for decades pay the human cost.

Producer: Busisiwe Gumede-Chizhanje
Presenter: Masa Kekana
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Sand Wars
A battle is brewing in a tiny coastal Eastern Cape town where pristine dunes meet a controversial mining plan. If the plan is passed, 20 to 40 truckloads of sand will be removed from the beach every day for up to five years. The mining company and some beachfront residents believes it’s the answer to the town’s sand migration problem, while others claim there’s been poor public participation and insist the mine will destroy the fragile dune and beach ecosystems. Essential environmental management or resource exploitation? The conflict threatens to break Oyster Bay in two.

Producer: Catherine Rice
Presenter: Erin Bates
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Rags to Ruin
Accra: the gateway to Africa’s vast second-hand clothing industry. Used clothes are shipped in by the tonne from Europe, America and Asia, fuelling the livelihoods of thousands of resellers. But the industry threatens the very communities that depend on it. Discarded clothes clog rivers and beaches, saturate landfills and pollute the air and water. Ghana is the developed world’s garbage can, and it’s drowning under tonnes of unusable, unsellable fast fashion.

Producer: Radio Télévision Suisse
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Small Town: Richmond
It’s the home of a celebrated literary festival, a world-class art gallery and a boutique book binding centre. No, this isn’t Berlin, Paris or New York. Welcome to Richmond: a tiny Northern Cape town off the N1 between Johannesburg and Cape Town. Steeped in history – from horse breeding to South African War skirmishes – Richmond may look like nothing more than a rest stop. But it’s a hidden Karoo gem bursting with character. In our latest Small Town feature, Carte Blanche gets a taste of life in this quirky dorp.

Producer: Diana Lucas
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.