NPA: Tell no lies, claim no easy victories๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
In 2019, Shamila Batohi returned from The Hague to lead our National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). During the Zuma presidency, the once-proud NPA had been hollowed out by state capture; Batohi was a welcome appointment who promised to restore the organisation and ensure speedy convictions of state capture perpetrators. The same year, former prosecutor Hermione Cronje returned to head up the NPA's sharp end: the Investigating Directorate (ID) which would investigate, arrest and prosecute state capture and complex financial crimes. Batohi and Cronje: two powerful women with the same aim. But within two years, Cronje left for a second time. Since then, the NPA has made several high-profile arrests, but the progress on state capture cases is dismal, and crucial ones have been struck from the roll. Is the NPA still in crisis, despite angry denials from current leadership? Carte Blanche, in association with amaBhungane, looks at what has gone wrong at the National Prosecuting Authority.
FULL DOCUMENTARY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2HakW03sLQ
The Historian๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
On any given afternoon in the Botanical Gardens, visitors may spot one of Johannesburgโs rare sights. Sometimes itโs an Inca warrior or an Ottoman trader. But on really good days, it's a Crusader patrolling the forests. Gareth Sephton is a unique character with a passion for history, and heโs decided to literally put himself in the shoes of those who lived before us to experience what life was like in a bygone era. Gareth believes history is more than just memorising a string of facts: itโs a sensory experience, and heโs not afraid to immerse himself in the textures and tastes of any era. Dog walkers may be confused by his attire, but for children at a local primary school and the elderly at a nearby retirement home, Gareth teaches and entertains in equal measure. A delightful story about what might happen when you let your imagination run free.
Kidnapping crisis๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ญ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
Since 2022, foreign nationals - especially Ethiopian businessmen - have been targeted by kidnappers in the Eastern Cape.ย Now itโs become an all-out war. In Qonce (formerly King William's Town), the community says at least two people are taken every week, with the kidnappers demanding ransom from their families. On the ground, informants and security experts say theyโve narrowed down the location of the kidnapping kingpins. They say that organised crime syndicates have taken root in the province and allege that police are involved. According to some insiders, these small-scale kidnappings provide much-needed capital for the syndicates to operate on a larger, more lucrative scale; targeting wealthy South African business owners. Carte Blanche investigates.
Books galore!๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ญ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
In Johannesburgโs inner city, thereโs a wealth of knowledge waiting to be explored. Known as the Literary District, itโs the unlikely home to a treasure trove of books from some of the worldโs best-known African and international authors. From one-of-a-kind collectables tucked away in the basement of the Rand Club, to second-hand paperback novels sold on the street - this area boasts more than 70 booksellers within an approximate one-kilometre radius. Former Agence France-Presse journalist Griffin Shea is one of them, and he has spent the past decade compiling a detailed map to help book lovers navigate the district. Carte Blanche explores the inner cityโs surprising reading culture.
Surviving the Valencia floods๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ญ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
In late October,ย South African mother-of-four Lindie Jackson was enjoying an ordinary day in her new home city, Valencia in Spain.ย Then torrential rains and floodingย hit the coastal city. It would become the deadliest flood in modern Spanish history, killing more than 220 people. Within minutes of receiving the flood alert warning, the streets had become submerged in fast-flowing muddy water. In every street, cars piled on top of each other, pavements were completely ripped up and debris was everywhere. For people like Lindie, the unfolding disaster was terrifying. Now, she shares the harrowing details, revealing governance failures as extreme weather conditions continue to batter cities around the world.
Sebokeng's children๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฐ ๐ก๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
The Carte Blanche Making A Difference Trust has a longstanding relationship with Sebokeng Regional Hospital. In the last decade, the Trust has built two paediatric high-care wards at Sebokeng, but theyโre operating beyond capacity. Meanwhile, at Sebokeng - as at other regional hospitals - children are traumatised by their exposure to violence and illness in the emergency department they share with the community's adults. So the Trust stepped in again. In 2023, construction began on a first-of-its-kind Paediatric Emergency Unit, where children will be treated by specialist doctors using equipment designed for their tiny bodies. This week, the Trust proudly unveiled the completed, state-of-the-art facility and handed it over to the hospital, its community and, most importantly, its children.
Jerry's Rangers๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฐ ๐ก๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
In Soweto, Jerry Selwane is an unstoppable force, saving and rehabilitating injured and abandoned animals in his community. Through Soweto's Animal Rescue and Advisory Centre (SARAC), he is on a mission to revolutionise animal welfare, one rescue at a time. Jerry's journey began more than two decades ago when he worked for the SPCA. But he soon realised that much more was needed to combat animal cruelty. So, he took a bold leap, pouring his heart (and life savings) into SARAC. But Jerry's vision extends far beyond rescuing animals. He's now cultivating a new generation of animal advocates, aptly called Jerryโs Rangers.
Exorcisms: See no evil๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ญ๐ณ ๐ก๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
In the shadows of South Africa's spiritual landscape, a sinister practice is claiming lives: exorcisms gone wrong. In KwaZulu-Natal, one family is demanding justice after the tragic death of their 17-year-old daughter. Prior to her death, Thozama Sonjica's family suspected that her uncharacteristic disobedience and bad behaviour signalled something far more sinister. They suspected that she, along with her group of friends, may be possessed by demonic forces. The local pastor confirmed their worst fears โ the devil was at work โ and he ordered an exorcism be performed on the children. But during the ritual, something went horribly wrong. Five days later and after enduring prolonged torture at the hands of her tormentors, Thozama succumbed to her injuries. But this isnโt an isolated incident in South Africa. Carte Blanche goes inside the secretive world of so-called Exorcisms.
BELA Bill: The debate๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ก๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
On Tuesday, thousands of protesters gathered at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria to protest the controversial Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill. This after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Bill into law in September, while also recommending that two crucial sections of the Bill be reviewed. Now, two months into the three-month consultation period around sections of the BELA Act, opinions continue to be divided as the future of basic education seemingly hangs in the balance. As time runs out for concerned parties to find a middle ground, will Ramaphosa sign the remaining controversial sections into law?
Poisoned: An investigation๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ก๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
On an afternoon walk in downtown Johannesburg, street vendors offer a myriad of lethal poisons to eager customers looking for pesticides to kill rodents. But some of these products have been banned for years and the sale of these substances is illegal. Aldicarb is one such chemical which is easily available from vendors. Another known (but legal) chemical is the highly toxic terbufos that can kill grown men within hours. Itโs this chemical that investigators from the Department of Health now believe may be behind the tragic deaths of six children who died after consuming food from a local spaza shop in Naledi, Soweto. This follows startling reports of other children around the country who have either died or become critically ill from eating snacks or food bought from spaza shops. Now, as government contends with increasing numbers of reported poisoning, especially in children, Carte Blanche investigates whether the state may ultimately be responsible for these deaths.
Mathews Phosa: Witness to power๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ก๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
Mathews Phosa has been at the forefront of South Africaโs political landscape for decades. In 1985, as a young activist and ANC comrade, Phosa fled the apartheid regime and went into exile where he would become one of the commanders in umKhonto weSizwe. Later, he trained in counterintelligence and weapons handling in East Germany.ย He was one of the first ANC members to return to South Africa to prepare the way for negotiations. He became the first premier of Mpumalanga during the presidency of Nelson Mandela. A close ally to Madiba, under Thabo Mbeki, Phosa was pushed to the sidelines, falsely accused of being involved in a โplotโ to overthrow President Mbeki. Phosa would later become the Treasurer-General of the ANC during Jacob Zumaโs turbulent administration. In his new book,ย Witness to Power,ย Phosa pulls back the veil on some of the most crucial political moments in South Africaโs history. Carte Blanche sits down with the veteran politician who still seems reluctant to reveal the true extent of everything he knows.ย
People vs primates๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ต ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
In Simonโs 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 thatโs been decades in the making and itโs pitting neighbour against neighbour as frustrated residents turn on each other.
UPDATE: Hope and healing๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฏ ๐ก๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
In March, we brought you the story of a doctor using her skills to transform the life of one person every month โ providing reconstructive surgery to those without the means to access it themselves. Now, the Dr Ansua Foundation is extending its reach through collaborations with public and private organisations.
Zama zamas: Lowveld hijacked๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฏ ๐ก๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
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 itโs not the only town that has been impacted. Pilgrimโs Rest, Barberton and Mbombela are on edge. One of the biggest concerns for communities is the so-called acid baths โ 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 thatโs 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.
Budget cuts: Canary in the coal mine๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ณ ๐ข๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
Last year, national government signed off on a public servants wage agreement that the country simply couldnโt afford. Under pressure from trade unions, government increased its already overburdened wage bill, pushing the cost of the shortfall onto provincial budgets. Now provinces have been forced to cut their budgets, slashing personnel numbers and plunging service delivery further into crisis. Already overstretched, the public health and education sectors in the Western Cape have been dealt a devastating blow, and theyโre not afraid to say it. Carte Blanche examines the developing crisis and asks: is the Western Cape the canary in the coal mine?
Boys to men๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ณ ๐ข๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
Four out of five boys in South Africa grow up without a positive male role model. The consequences can be devastating: low self-esteem, poor academic performance, and depression. But a non-profit is trying to change that. The Character Company provides mentors for boys across South Africa, changing their lives and futures. On the outskirts of Cape Town, Carte Blanche meets some of these men and the children whose lives have been positively impacted by the movement.
Bad fish๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ณ ๐ข๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
Decaying fish line the banks of the Klipvoor Dam. It might look like a free meal for cormorants and fish eagles, but the dam โ once home to hundreds of indigenous fish species โ 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 hasnโt 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
Isabella's dream๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
On 28 September, South Africans cheered as our nationโs 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 Kolisiโs hand, it was Isabella who captured the nationโs hearts.
Nuclear miracles๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
What do you think of when you hear the word โnuclearโ? 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 thatโs promising great results in the treatment of advanced cancer. Carte Blanche takes a tour behind the scenes.
Stellenbosch student abductions๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
Itโs a summer night in peaceful, picturesque Stellenbosch and students are taking to the streets to party with their friends. But beneath the surface of this typical weekend scene, danger lurks. A group of girls walking home together realise that a car is following them. A couple taking in the view at the nearby Franschhoek Pass are bundled into the back of a car. Hours later, parents receive a frightening demand: money, or we kill your son. From muggings to abductions, violent crime in Stellenbosch is on the rise. What will it take to protect students?
On a wingsuit and a prayer๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ญ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
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. Itโs a sport thatโs regarded as extremely dangerous, only attempted by the most experienced skydivers and thrill seekers. Carte Blanche meets this extraordinary athlete.
Living on the dead๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ญ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
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.
Waterberg fires๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ญ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ.
The fire season was dramatic this year. In the Free State, an 80-year-old woman lost her life, while over 300 cattle and 600 sheep burned alive. Areas around Pretoria weren't spared from the flames that wiped out scores of houses, while North West farmers are asking for aid after massive fires laid waste to parts of the Magaliesburg. In Limpopo, locals say they have never seen fires this fierce. In some places, gusting winds created runaway fires that spread at 30 kilometres an hour for up to eleven days. Last week, a couple stuck inside their blazing house frantically called family to say their last goodbyes... before escaping to safety, living to tell the tale. Carte Blanche headed to Limpopo for an aerial view of the devastating aftermath.