Coming up on Carte Blanche on M-Net & M-Net HD [101], Sunday 30 July 2023 at 19:00.
Broadcast Bandit
He’s a man of many faces: events planner, film director, pastor, gold trader… and Disney and Netflix distributor. But many say he’s nothing but a con artist. Claiming to be a big-time television producer, he’s taken several broadcasting hopefuls for an expensive ride. Would-be producers paid him their life savings to shoot pilot episodes, drinking in his promises of lucrative deals on television and streaming platforms.
Frustratingly, they were left to foot the bill for cast and crew when their erstwhile mentor did a runner, leaving a trail of fake identities and broken dreams. After a year of searching, Carte Blanche catches up with a scamster who’s traded his director’s chair for a pulpit.
Producer: Sasha Schwendenwein
Research: Laura Byrne
Presenter: Lourensa Eckard
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Dancing with Putin
South Africa’s friendship with Russia is a political football that temporarily came to rest last week. On Friday, the High Court confirmed that we’d be required to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes were he to attend the BRICS summit in Johannesburg next month. The Department of Justice has now requested a warrant of arrest, while the Presidency confirmed that Putin will attend the summit virtually. It’s a temporary solution to a diplomatic impasse – arrest a high-profile guest or refuse and violate international law – but the debate around Russia’s engagement in Africa is far from settled. Is modern Russia a colonial power bent on exploiting the continent, or does it remain the Soviet friend of its liberation movements? Carte Blanche examines this political quagmire.
Producer: Marion Edmunds
Presenter: Govan Whittles
Macassar’s Dumping Ground
In May this year, a body was found on a beach in Macassar in the Western Cape. The victim, a young woman, had been brutally raped and murdered before being dumped in the sand. There were no witnesses, and over the next few days, three more bodies were discovered in this small community. But it wasn’t always like this: elderly residents who have lived in the once-peaceful fishing village their whole lives recall happier times. But in the past decade, conditions have deteriorated so dramatically that Macassar is no longer safe, with gangs from inside and outside the area roaming the streets. With the police apparently powerless to help, Macassar is under siege.
Producer: Catherine Rice
Presenter: Erin Bates
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Tractor Tannie
Mom of two, Corné Else has brought a new twist to the moniker “soccer mom”. For thirteen days this year, Corné drove the family’s battered 59-year-old tractor close to two thousand kilometres through some of South Africa’s smallest towns. She was raising money to send her daughter to a sporting World Championships. Not soccer, though, or even netball. No, this was funding for tug of war. Corné’s daughter Marconette is a South African champion and she’s been invited to the World Champs in Switzerland. But, in the absence of government funding, Corné – with a little help from generous friends and family – devised a cunning plan to get her daughter to Europe.
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.
