As Tatjana Smith (née Schoenmaker) breaks a world record, she is celebrated and uplifted by fellow swimmer and South African Kaylene Corbett, affirming the importance of coach Rocco Meiring’s emphasis on teamwork even in an individual sport.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟰 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. A self-styled indigenous empress poised to pay out billions of rands hidden in a secret trust to the descendants of the Khoi and San in South Africa: if only it were true. But it’s not, despite what the imperial leaders have told a vast network of WhatsApp groups where they groom poor people to pledge their scarce cash to the scheme. They say the ticket to great wealth is an Aboriginal ID, purchased online. This card will supposedly help beneficiaries cash in, and give them immunity to South African law. This scam is part of a larger movement to create a Khoisan leadership class worthy of state perks and influence. We penetrate the campaign of Empress Valerie Sabina Letsie III who revealed herself in front of Parliament this week, and identify two more groups that have taken cash from people desperate to get a cut of the multi-million rand payout that’s promised in the name of their Khoisan legacy. Find more exclusive content on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv

Promised great wealth, thousands sign up for a Khoisan ID card. Meanwhile, shadowy figures behind the campaign allegedly cash in for power and profit. Find more exclusive content on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟯 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯. In October 2021, a frantic call from a distraught husband sent emergency services and police to Pastor Liezel de Jager’s house. But it was already too late. Liezel was found strangled outside her Amanzimtoti home. Her father, Henk van Zyl - a former detective - made over 90 calls to police for feedback but, for two years, the investigation stalled… until civil rights organisation, Action Society, got involved. With increased pressure and media attention, police finally arrested a suspect last week. It’s an all-too-familiar picture: a case that clearly illustrates the fallout from an overburdened detective service unable to keep up with South Africa’s ever-soaring crime rates. According to the police’s own latest statistics, just under 12.5 percent of the country’s murders are solved. As families mourning the brutal deaths of their loved ones wait months or even years for closure, does the answer lie in watchdog organisations that effectively privatise the investigation and prosecution of crime? Carte Blanche investigates. Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv