Carte Blanche

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟵 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. In Simon’s Town and Kommetjie in the Western Cape, residents are facing off against a familiar opponent: baboons. For years, both communities have tolerated the growing numbers of baboons moving around the villages in search of food. But, over time, tensions between people and these primates have reached boiling point. The baboons have become so habituated to living in town that they no longer fear people. Several homeowners have reported baboons breaking into their houses, looking for food. Some parents say their children are too afraid to play outside in their gardens. This is a crisis that’s been decades in the making and it’s pitting neighbour against neighbour as frustrated residents turn on each other.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟯 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. In Mpumalanga, the illicit gold mining industry is worth millions. Thousands of illegal miners, better known as zama zamas, have moved into the Lowveld in a modern-day gold rush, mining abandoned and operational mines. In Sabie, they're endangering the R40-billion forestry industry, digging shafts between trees and destroying vast tracts of valuable land. But it’s not the only town that has been impacted. Pilgrim’s Rest, Barberton and Mbombela are on edge. One of the biggest concerns for communities is the so-called acid baths – rudimentary pool-sized baths filled with dangerous chemicals like cyanide and sulfuric acid which are used to separate gold from ore-bearing rock. They're built next to major rivers supplying local agriculture, and the chemicals are leaking into the groundwater. And that’s not all. Running gun battles between illegal miners and law enforcement have left many community members fearing for their lives. In this two-part special, Carte Blanche investigates the extent and the impacts of the illegal mining that has hijacked the Lowveld.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟳 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. Decaying fish line the banks of the Klipvoor Dam. It might look like a free meal for cormorants and fish eagles, but the dam – once home to hundreds of indigenous fish species – has become dangerously polluted. New research shows that the Apies River, which flows from Pretoria into the dam, is full of pharmaceutical drugs including antidepressants, as well as cocaine and tik. But that hasn’t stopped criminal syndicates from poaching the fish and selling it for human consumption. Now, unsuspecting consumers are eating fish that could pose serious health risks. Carte Blanche joins an anti-poaching unit on patrol. Producer: Anina Peens | Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟬 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. On 28 September, South Africans cheered as our nation’s heroes took to the field to face Argentina in the Rugby Championship final. But the pluckiest person on the field was fighting not for a trophy, but for her life. Ten-year-old Isabella Esterhuyse is undergoing intense chemotherapy to combat the cancer invading her body. But her spirit remains undaunted. An avid rugby fan, her dream was to meet the Springboks... But, as she walked into the stadium holding Siya Kolisi’s hand, it was Isabella who captured the nation’s hearts.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟬 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. What do you think of when you hear the word “nuclear”? The iconic mushroom clouds of an atomic explosion? The devastating fallout from Chernobyl or Fukushima? Well, a group of local scientists wants you to see nuclear differently: a way to save lives. The team based at Pelindaba in the North West is at the cutting edge of research that’s promising great results in the treatment of advanced cancer. Carte Blanche takes a tour behind the scenes.