Carte Blanche

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟯 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. South African Jean Jacques Wallis is a brave man. With nothing more than a webbing-sleeved jumpsuit, gravity and the wind for support, Jean Jacques is the second-fastest wingsuit flyer in the world. In wingsuit flying, the pilot freefalls and can reach speeds up to 400 km per hour, getting meters off the ground before soaring up to eject a parachute. It’s a sport that’s regarded as extremely dangerous, only attempted by the most experienced skydivers and thrill seekers. Carte Blanche meets this extraordinary athlete.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟯 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. At TB Lujiza Cemetery in East London in the Eastern Cape, Mbewukazi Ntungwa searches for her grandmother's grave. Years of municipal mismanagement have violated the dignity of the dead and their relatives; overgrown vegetation and piles of rubbish make it difficult for families to find the tombstones of their departed loved ones. But even more shocking are the shacks and informal dwellings that have been built inside the cemetery, some of them directly above the remnants of headstones which mark the final resting place of the deceased. People living on the dead... In Buffalo City Municipality, derelict cemeteries are common. A few kilometres away, the lone headstone of political stalwart Alcott Skweyi Gwentshe lies in dense undergrowth, a startling monument to neglect. Carte Blanche investigates.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟲 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. On the outskirts of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Lucky Nxumalo, a self-taught welder, is using chess to transform his community. Lucky's passion for the game is giving local children a chance to develop their minds and discover new possibilities. After years of seeking government support to teach chess, Lucky’s dream remained out of reach. It wasn’t until a chance encounter with a stranger that his vision began to take shape. With some support, the Hlulabantu Chess Garden was created: a space where local kids gather to learn and play. Despite earning modestly, Lucky teaches chess for free, believing the game sharpens strategic thinking and can lead to a brighter future for his community. Through one man’s unwavering dedication, the simple game of chess is becoming a powerful tool for education and empowerment in an area where opportunities are few.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟲 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. Standing in the dock at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, Sifiso Mkhwanazi is an ordinary figure, just one of several hundred criminals who have appeared before Judge Cassim Moosa for sentencing. But his casual demeanour conceals a ruthless, violent serial killer - one of the youngest recorded in South Africa - who terrorised sex workers in downtown Johannesburg. After a series of gruesome murders sent shockwaves through the community, Mkhwanazi emerged as the shadowy figure behind the killings. As investigators dug deeper, they painted a chilling portrait of a man driven by dark impulses and a twisted sense of retribution. Carte Blanche asks: What drove a soft-spoken young man to become one of the country’s most prolific serial killers?

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟲 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. A half-hour walk up the mountain above Unie Park in Stellenbosch takes you to a huge construction site where ground has been broken for what is meant to be one of the Cape's new exclusive lifestyle estates. Roads have been laid on the steep slope and reinforced to prevent erosion, alien plants have been cleared, and the entire area enclosed with a fence which snakes down the mountainside. Luxury houses will go up here, commanding breathtaking views. The developers are selling plots for millions, attracting both local and international buyers who want a taste of the high-end Winelands lifestyle. But, for Stellenbosch residents concerned with urban heritage, this development feels very different from the small mountain resort they approved in a 2003 public participation process. And people living in neighbouring Ida’s Valley are chafing at a controversial land swap which they allege favours the developers with a sliver of municipal land in exchange for steep ground on which the developer cannot build. This at a time when plans for social housing on an adjacent piece of land seem to have fallen off the table. Carte Blanche examines the paper trail which throws light and shade on the convoluted process of environmental authorisation for an exclusive housing estate.