Coming up on Carte Blanche‎ on M-Net & M-Net HD [101], Sunday 25 February 2024 at 19:00.

PetroSA’s Plush New Deal
PetroSA, South Africa’s state-owned oil and gas company, has successfully hidden most of its bad investments over the years. By 2020, poor decisions at the secretive company had wasted billions and almost closed it down. But it was given a lifeline when Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe – determined to save PetroSA – insisted Eskom buy its diesel from the parastatal. Now, it’s on a new drive to partner with private business. A recent contract with the Russian Gazprom Bank has caused a stir, but a far larger deal (signed in secret) will make a controversial businessman a major player in the oil and gas industry. We lift the lid on this new profit-sharing deal in the oil and gas fields off the Southern Cape Coast.

Producer: Joy Summers
Presenter: Masa Kekana
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Msunduzi’s Own Goal
In Pietermaritzburg, in the Msunduzi Local Municipality, rubbish lies uncollected on the streets for weeks at a time. In this once-bustling capital city, the putrid stench of urine hangs in the air: a disturbing sign of the city’s decay. Sewage leaks and water pipeline bursts have become common while the supply of electricity has reached a crisis point. The municipality owes Eskom millions, but its coffers are dry. So, why did the mayor sign a multi-million rand deal to sponsor a PSL football team for the next three years? It’s a decision that has residents and business owners outraged.

Producer: Carol Albertyn Christie
Presenter: Govan Whittles
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Antarctica’s Hidden Clues
Huddled together on an Antarctic ice sheet, a colony of emperor penguins feed and raise their chicks. But like so many other animals living on the southernmost continent, their lives are increasingly impacted by global warming. These birds are an important piece of the puzzle as scientists study our rapidly changing climate. Antarctica is shrinking as rising ocean temperatures steadily thaw the glaciers that have been frozen for millennia. Carte Blanche travelled to Antarctica to meet researchers and scientists who are studying this ice-covered continent for new clues to help save our planet.

Producer & Presenter: Lourensa Eckard
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Carte Blanche: The Podcast
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Please note Carte Blanche line-ups are subject to change.