A Pauper's Burial

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟲 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯. It’s an important service, helping clients give their loved ones a dignified send-off, but running a funeral business isn’t easy. And that’s especially true in times of near-continuous power cuts. The country’s energy crisis is impacting the funeral sector in multiple ways, notably its ability to store the bodies of the departed at the required temperature. As a result, mortuaries are urging the bereaved to bury their loved ones within days, while those able to afford generators are buckling under the financial pressure of keeping them running. Unsurprisingly, many funeral homes have had to close. In a country where it often takes weeks for some cultural burial rites to be performed, what, if anything, can be done? Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://bit.ly/PodcastCB

Funerals can be costly and millions of South Africans rely on funeral policies to help minimise the financial blow. But what if your policy provider fails to pay out?

It will showcase films from countries including Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya … and more

This story originally aired on 11 September 2022. It’s an early Cape Town morning and, as Advocate Jakes van der Merwe passes his hand over the base of his neck, he’s reminded by a small dent below his right ear of how close he came to losing his life. He was shot outside his home two years ago, a bullet hitting him in the neck. But he is not alone. In recent years, attacks like this have become an occupational hazard for members of Cape Town’s legal fraternity – some of them, deadly. In 2018, Advocate Pete Mihalik – who represented the alleged leader of the 28s gang – was killed outside his children’s school. His murder trial is now underway. Carte Blanche reports on lawyers under siege by Cape Town’s criminal underground. Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv