Coming up on Carte Blanche on M-Net & M-Net HD [101], Sunday 7 May 2023 at 19:00.
Pandering to Putin
The ANC’s political allegiance to its Cold War friend, Russia, is causing a political rumpus as a potential visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin forces the South African government to make tough choices. This includes whether it leaves the International Criminal Court (ICC) which may reset its already-damaged global reputation for the worse. The ICC has issued a warrant of arrest for Putin for the kidnapping of thousands of Ukrainian children during the conflict between the neighbours. As South Africa is a signatory to the Rome Statute – which underpins the ICC – it would be obliged to arrest Putin if he comes to South Africa for the BRICS summit in August. The Premier of the Western Cape, Alan Winde says he will get his unarmed Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers to arrest Putin if he strays into the Western Cape, a province under the political control of the opposition. While this throws up the spectacle of the absurd, it has set the cat further among the pigeons, sending the government into a legal huddle as it tries to work out what to do next. Is this political hot potato just one more milestone in South Africa’s slow drift to isolationism, compounded by greylisting, industrial-scale corruption, and clumsy foreign policy? Carte Blanche examines the consequences of pandering to Putin.
Producer: Marion Edmunds
Presenter: Masa Kekana
Deadly Encounters
It was described as an audacious prison break: the charred remains of an unidentified man lay in the now-infamous cell 35 at the G4S private prison in Mangaung while the man dubbed the “Facebook Rapist” made his escape. In a morbid ruse, his alleged accomplice, Nandipha Magudumana, later claimed the deceased as her customary law husband, Thabo Bester. Eleven months later and Bester, Magudumana and numerous alleged co-conspirators are behind bars. But while police tracked the two fugitives all the way to Tanzania, focus shifted to identifying the body left behind in cell 35. Now identified as Katlego Bereng, a man well-known to one of the accused, details of his brutal murder have shocked his family, leaving them with more questions than answers.
Producer: Busisiwe Gumede-Chizhanje
Presenter: Claire Mawisa
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Saving N|uu
There are 7000 languages spoken around the world. But every year, at least 25 of those disappear, never to be spoken again. In South Africa, the ancient N|uu language is on the brink of extinction. But one woman is determined to preserve this heritage. Ouma Katrina Esau is the last surviving, fluent speaker of N|uu: a rich San language once widely spoken in villages across the Northern Cape. Now, the 90-year-old Ouma Katrina is determined to save the language and leave behind a cultural inheritance for future generations.
Producer: Liz Fish
Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli
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Arch Angels
Sailing is one of the most challenging sports in the world as individuals battle dangerous winds and waters to voyage to distant shores. But for a group of unlikely seafarers from South Africa, sailing has unlocked a world of opportunity. In a history-making voyage, the first complete crew from the Royal Cape Yacht Club Sailing Academy – hailing from marginalised communities – crossed the finish line of the 50th Cape2Rio yacht race in third position. On board the ArchAngel, the team arrived in Rio de Janeiro 24-days after setting sail from Cape Town. The crew broke every stereotype, proving that it is possible for people from diverse backgrounds to participate in sports previously only accessible to a privileged few.
Producer: Sinethemba Nogude
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.
