Coming up on Carte Blanche on M-Net & M-Net HD [101], Sunday 30 November 2025 at 19:00
Forgotten and Failing
Special needs schools across KwaZulu-Natal are in crisis, with months of unpaid subsidies forcing dozens to near-collapse. Seventy-six schools that care for children with disabilities are now unable to provide food, therapy, transport, or safe learning spaces. And parents are taking a drastic step: closing down the schools they say are failing their children. This is a story about more than missed payments. Behind the statistics are real children whose rights to dignity, safety, and education are being quietly stripped away.
Producer: Busisiwe Gumede-Chizhanje
Presenter: Masa Kekana
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Jackpot Nation
South Africa is being emptied out one bet at a time, as a digital economy of unregistered internet lounges, spaza shop, betting hubs and smartphone apps drain wages, grants and loans. Families are losing more to gambling than to most leisure expenses, while the laws meant to regulate the industry remain hopelessly outdated. But authorities are fighting back. As law enforcement raids illegal lounges and seizes machines in an attempt to stem the tide, Carte Blanche goes to the frontline in the battle against illegal gambling.
Producer: Anina Peens
Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli
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Oom Bennie’s Barbershop
Tucked away on the edge of Sophiatown is a tiny two-chair barbershop. From the pavement, it looks like nothing special. But step inside and you enter a rugby time capsule. Every wall and even the ceiling is packed with memorabilia, collected over more than three decades. Clients travel from all over for a cut, a chat and Oom Bennie’s trademark life advice. Rugby greats have sat in the same seat as our own cameraman. So, what makes this humble shop such a magnetic landmark? It’s a story about one man’s living museum where rugby, memory, and community meet.
Producer: Sasha Schwendenwein
Presenter: Govan Whittles
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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.
