#CarteBlanche
Macfarlane Moleli has over 18 years’ experience as a journalist in the media and entertainment industry. Recently, he worked at Kaya FM, eNCA and SABC 3's evening news. Well-versed in in-depth interviews on current affairs, and contentious issues in politics, business, sports and environmental issues, Macfarlane has been bringing his presenting skills to Carte Blanche since 2017.
DISCOVER MORE
Home of the vultures𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟴 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰.
In the heart of the Eastern Cape, a group of White-backed and Cape vultures survey their new home. These birds are part of a group of 163 vultures moved from Vulpro, a sanctuary at Hartbeespoort in the North West, to a private game reserve in the Eastern Cape. In Africa’s largest vulture relocation, truckloads of the raptors were captured and driven over a thousand kilometres to the unspoilt wilderness at Shamwari Private Game Reserve. The new bespoke facility will focus on rehabilitation and captive breeding programmes, with the goal of releasing new generations of vultures back into the wild. Carte Blanche followed them on their long trek to their new home.
Find more exclusive content on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
Lions in Laos𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟳 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
In September, a South African lion farmer sent a shipment of ten healthy lions to the East Asian country of Laos – a sale that raised the alarm for animal activists. In Laos, tigers have been hunted to extinction, but their body parts are still in high demand in traditional medicine and used in a fine wine. But with the supply in the tiger bone market shrinking, alternatives are being sought in South Africa. Activists believe that the shipment of lions was destined to be killed to feed the country’s growing tiger bone industry. It’s a complex story where lion bones are used to supplement the tiger bone market. But was the farmer aware that the shipment of lions would be killed in Laos? Carte Blanche investigates and what we find, suggests that these lions were deliberately sent to their deaths.
Find more exclusive content on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
Budding besties𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟯 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
Mpho and Flenters are unusual companions. One is an orphaned rhino calf and the other a sheep with a little attitude. At a secret location in the bush, Mpho is just one of a crash of orphaned rhino calves saved from certain death by a non-profit rhino orphanage. Many of them lost their mothers to poaching and, in the wild, young rhino are completely incapable of caring for themselves. They will either fall prey to predators or eat dirt to survive. At this orphanage, the budding friendship between Mpho and Flenters is getting all the attention. Staff at the orphanage hope that, with Flenters’ help, Mpho might one day return to the wild.
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
Liquid gold𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟵 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
Traded on the black market, it’s highly lucrative. From diesel skimming to tanker hijackings and petrol depot robberies: over the years, Carte Blanche has investigated multiple criminal networks fuelling the illicit trade in what's known as liquid gold. But as old schemes are exposed, criminals evolve. Now fuel spiking – blending diesel with cheaper ingredients, often paraffin – has taken off on an industrial level. It’s a criminal MO affecting every South African and costing the country millions of every day. After several months investigating these illicit operations, we uncover an elaborate cross-border tax fraud scheme.
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
A home for the courageous𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟬 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
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.
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
Senzo Meyiwa: The first suspect𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟯 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
It has resonated across South Africa for years: the 2014 murder of Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa in his girlfriend’s house in Vosloorus. This week, the pathologist who examined Meyiwa’s lifeless body detailed the last moments of the popular soccer player’s life. But the shooting didn’t just end Meyiwa’s life: it forever changed the life of another young man from the community. Days after the brutal killing, police rounded up Zamo Mbatha, the first suspect in Meyiwa’s murder. Mbatha was detained for two weeks before the court abruptly ordered his release; police did not have enough evidence to link him to the case. But it was too late for Mbatha. With many still believing that he was Meyiwa’s killer, his life was altered. Ten years later, as five other men stand trial for Meyiwa’s murder, Mbatha’s multi-million rand lawsuit against the police has come to a standstill. Carte Blanche examines how his wrongful arrest as the first suspect shattered his world.
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
Tractor Tannie𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟯𝟬 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
What does the tug-of-war world championship in Switzerland, a mother, her daughter and a 59-year-old tractor have in common? A story of the extraordinary lengths a mother will go to help realise her daughter’s dreams and South Africans’ incredible generosity.
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
Tourists under siege𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟵 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
It is a city at the heart of the Wild Coast: a thoroughfare for tourists seeking out not only Mandela's birthplace but the region’s kilometres of pristine beaches and its opportunities for wild adventure. It's the last stop for food and fuel before travellers go off the beaten track. But it is also the most dangerous city in the Eastern Cape. In these parts, vulnerable tourists stick out and criminals are cashing in. Con artists use subterfuge and confusion to dupe tourists into withdrawing thousands of rands from ATMs around Mthatha. It's a clever ruse that the visitors often don’t even see coming.
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
Black dust𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟲 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
As the influx of coal trucks to Richards Bay keeps escalating, stockpiles are popping up like mushrooms with scant regard to rules and regulations. How will the residents survive clouds of black dust permeating the air they breathe?
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
[FROM THE ARCHIVES] Fake gynaeHe's facing hundreds of charges for allegedly defrauding medical aid schemes and the Labour Department’s Compensation Fund. He's also been struck off the role in the UK, and illegally worked at several private hospitals in South Africa. We then found him masquerading as a gynaecologist in Cape Town. Carte Blanche goes undercover for a consult with this dodgy doctor.
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
Saving N/uu𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟳 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
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.
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
Rogue responders𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟭 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
It’s a growing phenomenon in Gauteng: volunteer paramedics assisting people involved in accidents or other life-threatening situations. Forced to act as a necessary response to scarce emergency services in their communities, ordinary citizens are stepping in to fill the gap. In Brakpan, members of the community underwent self-funded training, and some are now fully qualified first aiders doing what they can to assist until more capable personnel arrive on the scene. Others, though, operate illegally by overstepping the mark and, in some instances, patients have died in their care. One woman has become so brazen that she’s developed a reputation as a vigilante paramedic, endangering the lives of those in desperate need of emergency care.
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
[FROM THE ARCHIVES] Sewer Zama Zamas𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟮 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟳.
Imagine having to dive into Johannesburg’s sewers to find hidden treasure. That’s the life of a sewer Zama Zama as they dig through sewage for survival. Macfarlane Moleli goes underground to find out more.
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
[FROM THE ARCHIVES] Solar power(less)𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟳 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭.
Bracing themselves for the disruption and frustration of loadshedding, South Africans are increasingly exploring off-the-grid alternatives. Whether it’s making life and business more sustainable, citizens are entering a future set for more of the same, according to the experts. Carte Blanche investigates a cautionary tale of solutions promised but not delivered as one solar service provider banks on the desperation of his clients and seems to get away with one excuse after the next.
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
Behind the visor𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟯 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
He was a young man looking for an exciting rendezvous on the dating app, Grindr. But within minutes of meeting his love match, he knew something was horribly wrong. What followed was a terrifying ordeal of beatings, torment, and robbery from which he escaped alive but with deep psychological scars. What’s more, he’s not the only victim: In a worrying trend, opportunistic criminals are using online dating apps to “catfish”, blackmail and rob people whose only desire is to find love or a fleeting romance. Many of those who’ve fallen victim to these crimes say they’ve received little support from the police, and the app developers are refusing responsibility. In a special two-part report, Carte Blanche investigates.
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
Bloem brouhaha𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟵 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
Bloemfontein is home to the University of the Free State and the Central University of Technology. It’s now a bona fide student town as thousands flock to these campuses from around the country. But there isn’t enough on-site accommodation to house them all; conditions ripe for manipulation. Some have spotted a lucrative opportunity to illegally convert their own homes into crowded student digs., or to build cramped digs on any available open stand. It’s caused havoc in some suburbs as service delivery, intended for smaller suburbs, is stretched to the limit. Residents who’ve for years called these once quiet suburbs home, now contend with overflowing sewage, raucous parties, and plummeting property prices. Carte Blanche goes knocking.
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
South Africa on the brink𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟵 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
Throughout history, protest action has allowed people to demonstrate their dissatisfaction. In South Africa, the right to protest is constitutionally protected. But sometimes protests turn violent, endangering the lives of innocent bystanders. When some healthcare workers took to the streets earlier this year, demanding a long-promised pay increase, it was their patients who suffered…
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
Taxi torment𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟱 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
It was a controversial show of force by some of Cape Town’s most powerful taxi bosses: Children’s education held to ransom as they demanded a slice of the Western Cape’s multi-million-rand transport tenders. In February, thousands of pupils were left stranded as taxis blockaded Khayelitsha, preventing the ferrying of children to school by parents and other forms of scholar transport. Is this a symptom of a larger malaise taking over South Africa, where powerful interests use intimidation and the threat of violence to grab tenders awarded to others?
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
Gearing up for greatness𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟲 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.Tough to break into and even tougher to succeed in, motorcycle racing is one of the most competitive sports in the world. But at ten years old, Kgopotso Mononyane, affectionately known as KJ, knew that he had a need for speed. With his hand on the throttle, he’s spent the last five years honing his skills to become one of the best rookie motorcyclists in the country. Now, he’s racing in the memory of the man who started it all: his father. Carte Blanche meets this extraordinary racer.
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv
Herd impunity𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟲 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
A conflict is brewing in northern KwaZulu-Natal, pitting people against elephants. In September last year, Indlovu, a female, trampled a man to death on the east bank of the Jozini Dam. It set in motion a bloody reprisal from the local community, resulting in the ongoing killing of elephants in the area. It’s a conservation catastrophe that has its roots in a drought seven years ago. Then able to move to the other side of the dam, a great herd of these mammals from a private reserve in Pongola crossed paths with rural communities. Unable to cross back when the rains returned, the elephants stayed, often destroying valuable grazing land in the area. While there we tense encounters before, local communities say the trampling of one of their own was the last straw. Others, though, say there’s something far more sinister at play than a bid to preserve farmland and a recent attack on foreign tourists suggests they could be right. Carte Blanche investigates.
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://bit.ly/PodcastCB
Cheeky bikers𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟵 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
Skinny van Schalkwyk is no ordinary woman… A self-declared “biker chick”, she bought her first motorbike - a pink Yamaha R6 - almost two decades ago and has never looked back. From track racing to epic adventure rides and stunts, Skinny lives for the roar of her bike’s engine and the freedom it brings. But she also has a deep love for the outdoors and, six years ago - together with her “sidekick” Chikita - started the annual “Anti-Pants, Anti-Poaching” bike rally. It’s an off-the-wall way of contributing to nature conservation. This year more than 200 trouserless bikers joined them in contributing much-needed cash to the protection of giraffe.
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://bit.ly/PodcastCB
Loving with convict(ion)𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟮 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
A series of telephone encounters with a kind stranger leads a woman to love. Showered with gifts and compliments, she convinces herself that the voice on the other end belongs to someone worthy of her time and attention. But Cupid’s arrows are sometimes fired from the most unusual places: the man who has captured her heart is a convicted criminal serving a 17-year sentence. This Sunday, Carte Blanche acknowledges Valentine’s Day with a love-story-turned-cautionary-tale: is there a line that romance dares not cross? Or is there something else at play in the willingness of some to forgive all sins in exchange for affection?
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://bit.ly/PodcastCB
Tiger on the loose𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟵 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯.
She was an eight-year-old Bengal tiger named Sheba, hand-reared and loved. But tigers are apex predators, so when this fully-grown female escaped from her enclosure in the South of Johannesburg, locals panicked. Her owner, Rassie Erasmus, conscious of the danger she posed, was among them. As reports emerged of Sheba feasting on domestic animals, residents grew increasingly alarmed, fearing they may be next. It became clear to Erasmus what needed to be done: Sheba would have to be killed. It’s a story that enraged and baffled in equal measure. What explains government's reluctance to ban the keeping of exotic cats as pets? And was her death the only possible solution? Carte Blanche investigates and discovers there may be more to this story than meets the eye (of the tiger).
Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://bit.ly/PodcastCB
Soccer grannies