Coming up on Carte Blanche on M-Net & M-Net HD [101], Sunday 20 November 2022 at 19:00.
Dumped – Police Dogs
Police dogs once had a bad reputation as a brutal symbol of the old apartheid regime, often unleashed on people fighting for their human rights. But in the new South Africa, these animals, with their specialised crime-combatting and search-and-rescue skills, have endeared themselves to the public. They’re bred as valuable, highly trained assets for the police service. Earlier this year, a contract worth close to R26 million to purchase more dogs over the next three years was awarded to four contractors. But, controversially, 214 dogs were deemed untrainable and handed over to the NSPCA in September. A troubling development considering the massive shortage of dogs within the service. What is going on at the SAPS’s specialised K9 Unit? Carte Blanche investigates.
Producer: Liz Fish
Research: Sasha Schwendenwein
Presenter: Derek Watts
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Gauteng Health in Flames
Eighteen months ago, a fire engulfed parts of Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital in Gauteng. Over 900 patients had to be urgently moved, and crucial medical services came to a grinding halt. Many of the 150 000 outpatients who had relied on the hospital had to wait months for treatment. Doctors pleaded with bungling officials to fix the hospital as a matter of urgency. Then this year, a leaked forensic report revealed that the blaze was an act of arson. But the fire at Charlotte Maxeke is just the latest in a series of controversies bedevilling Gauteng Health. Are these coincidental or is something more sinister at play? Carte Blanche investigates.
Producer: Joy Summers
Research: Sasha Schwendenwein
Presenter: Bongani Bingwa
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Funeral Policies
Death is a growing business and South Africans are known to spare no expense when burying a loved one, with the average funeral costing about 13% of the annual average wage. It’s a massive cost, but with the promise of peace of mind and the opportunity to provide relatives with a dignified send-off, millions of South Africans are lining up for funeral policies. But what happens when a trusted funeral policy provider lets grieving relatives down in their time of need? Carte Blanche investigates a well-known service provider which has seemingly left its clients in the lurch.
Producer: Carte Blanche
Presenter: Masa Kekana
The Draadkar Grand Prix
It’s early November in a small town in the eastern Karoo. In the distance, screams from young children break the morning silence, as the thunder of running footsteps draws closer. Salvaged wire, tin-can tyres, and a mad dash through the streets of Philipstown in the Northern Cape. They call it the Draadkar Grand Prix: a mesmerising festival of Karoo culture and expertly hand-crafted wire cars “driven” by children of all ages. The event even has a place in the Guinness Book of Records. The prize? Local fame and absolute glory. Carte Blanche heads to the Karoo to experience this exhilarating spectacle.
Producer: Stenette Grosskopf
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.
