Coming up on Carte Blanche on M-Net & M-Net HD [101], Sunday 10 September 2023 at 19:00.
Horror in the Inner City
It’s a Thursday morning in a hijacked building in Johannesburg’s inner city. A fire breaks out on the first floor and soon sets the dilapidated building ablaze. Trapped inside, dozens of people – men, women, and children – are unable to escape the flames. In the street below, onlookers frantically call for help as people attempt to save themselves by jumping from upper-storey windows. Hours later, as rescue workers pull the dead from the debris, the scale of the disaster becomes clear. Blame is soon shifted to NGOs working in the inner city by officials denying any culpability in the tragedy. But few could argue the victims would not have suffered such excruciating deaths had the warning of at least the past two decades been heeded. The same NGOs as well as the media and several politicians had been warning of the dangers posed by Jo’burg’s hijacked buildings. Yet the problem grew unchecked and now 77 people are dead.
Producer: Harri Vithi
Presenter: Claire Mawisa
Watch the Trailer
Job Scams
It’s a startling statistic: almost 33 per cent of people living in South Africa are unemployed, many of them unemployable. It’s fertile ground for scammers who prey on desperate job seekers. In Matatiele in the Eastern Cape, a well-connected and widely known woman has become notorious for using her ties to a local mayor to dupe desperate jobseekers. Offering work at the municipality, she charges a small fee for her services but never delivers. And she’s not alone. In Gauteng, a rogue recruitment agency is one of several using the promise of jobs to defraud the desperate and already chronically poor. Carte Blanche investigates.
Producer: Sipha Kema
Presenter: Claire Mawisa
Watch the Trailer
A Home for the Courageous
In South Africa, the safety of those who speak out against corruption and other types of malfeasance cannot be guaranteed. Nor can the extent to which they’re often ostracised and isolated be guarded against. Whistleblowers are often harassed, demoted or dismissed from work; they risk financial ruin, psychological trauma and, in some cases, they even pay with their lives. But despite the challenges, whistleblowers continue to display immense courage, standing up against injustice when no one else will stand with them. It’s a gap now being filled by the Whistleblower House, an online platform offering a range of supports, including legal and financial advice, to those who sacrifice so much in the name of accountability and justice. Carte Blanche meets the people behind this cause.
Producer: Sasha Schwendenwein
Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli
Watch the Trailer
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.
Want to listen to Carte Blanche: The Podcast on the go? You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and many other major podcast platforms.
Join the conversation using #CarteBlanche on:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Website
Please note Carte Blanche line-ups are subject to change.
