𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟲 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯. In a quiet, isolated village in the Eastern Cape, nurses prepare for the day shift at a local clinic. Tholeni near Gcuwa in the Eastern Cape is one of the most impoverished villages in the area - unemployment is high and most families rely on grants for survival. But last year, even the government-sponsored social relief and food parcels couldn’t save seven children from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM). The children died within three months of each other. Theirs are the tragic faces of an under-reported and existential crisis in the country’s poorest regions: kwashiorkor, a painful condition often affecting children starved of proper nutrition. In South Africa, among the two wealthiest countries on the continent, around 15 000 children required hospitalisation because of the condition. It’s a crisis of hunger that’s spread throughout the country and government seems powerless to respond. Carte Blanche investigates. Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟱 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. Huddled together on an Antarctic ice sheet, a colony of emperor penguins feed and raise their chicks. But like so many other animals living on the southernmost continent, their lives are increasingly impacted by global warming. These birds are an important piece of the puzzle as scientists study our rapidly changing climate. Antarctica is shrinking as rising ocean temperatures steadily thaw the glaciers that have been frozen for millennia. Carte Blanche travelled to Antarctica to meet researchers and scientists who are studying this ice-covered continent for new clues to help save our planet. Find more exclusive content on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟱 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. PetroSA, South Africa’s state-owned oil and gas company, has successfully hidden most of its bad investments over the years. By 2020, poor decisions at the secretive company had wasted billions and almost closed it down. But it was given a lifeline when Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe - determined to save PetroSA - insisted Eskom buy its diesel from the parastatal. Now, it’s on a new drive to partner with private business. A recent contract with the Russian Gazprom Bank has caused a stir, but a far larger deal (signed in secret) will make a controversial businessman a major player in the oil and gas industry. We lift the lid on this new profit-sharing deal in the oil and gas fields off the Southern Cape Coast. Find more exclusive content on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv

M-Net celebrates Freedom Day with the broadcast of a 90-minute Carte Blanche special, looking back at three decades of democracy in South Africa. Watch it on Sunday 28 April at 19:00 on M-Net channel 101. Find more exclusive content on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv