Coming up on Carte Blanche on M-Net & M-Net HD [101], Sunday 05 March 2023 at 19:00.
Taxi Torment
It was a controversial show of force by some of Cape Town’s most powerful taxi bosses: Children’s education held to ransom as they demanded a slice of the Western Cape’s multi-million-rand transport tenders. In February, thousands of pupils were left stranded as taxis blockaded Khayelitsha, preventing the ferrying of children to school by parents and other forms of scholar transport. Is this a symptom of a larger malaise taking over South Africa, where powerful interests use intimidation and the threat of violence to grab tenders awarded to others?
Producer: Marion Edmunds
Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli
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Fumigation Felony
It was a Tuesday evening like any other; Matri and Nicholas Molver came home to their flat in Durban and spent a quiet evening together before going to bed. But they never woke up. Hours earlier, in the flat next door a man claiming to be a pest control operator had fumigated the flat against wood borer. But no one in the complex had been warned. An investigation found that a dangerous poison, one used to kill rats in grain silos, had been spread throughout the flat. Not registered for use in indoor fumigation, the consequences were deadly. Months later, the victims’ family wants justice.
Producer: Carol Albertyn Christie
Presenter: Masa Kekana
Research: Sasha Schwendenwein
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The Future’s Here and it Wants to Chat
Conventional wisdom would say “fear the robots”. But as the world begins to embrace self-driving cars, robotic surgery and online banking, artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming life as we know it. Now, ChatGPT, the first AI chatbot you can have conversations with, is placing the sum of human knowledge and creativity right at our fingertips. Fast, accurate and at times even terrifying, ChatGPT has the capability to process most complex problems, in any language, and provide users with detailed analysis and solutions. It’s progress on a grand scale, but could it make people redundant? Carte Blanche puts it to the test.
Producer: Hein Kaiser
Presenter: Xola Ntshinga
Return of the Rhinos
In Southern Africa, rhinos have been poached to near extinction, slaughtered for their horns. But in Zimbabwe, rhinos are making a comeback thanks to the dedication of one wildlife sanctuary’s elite anti-poaching team. Trained like soldiers and dedicated to the protection of these animals, they face down highly organised and armed criminal gangs, refusing to be deterred from their ultimate objective – saving rhinos from extinction.
Producer: ABC Australia
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A Winning Formula E
They may lack the roar of Formula One race engines, but they still pack a punch. Touted as the future of F1 racing, Formula E racing cars are fuelled by electricity and, since 2014, support for the sport has been growing rapidly. Last week, these cars went head-to-head on the streets of Cape Town. Still a distant second to F1 in terms of support and sponsorship, Formula E is nonetheless cementing its place in motor racing. Carte Blanche takes you inside the paddock for a unique racing experience in a championship that’s set to electrify the world.
Producer: Sinethemba Nogude
Presenter: Derek Watts
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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.
