DAM

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟴 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. In Hartbeespoort, Gauteng millions of tiny insects are hard at work, eradicating the water hyacinth suffocating the dam. It’s an invasive South American weed that, when left to bloom, depletes the oxygen in the water, killing fish and preventing boats from using the dam. For years, the Madibeng Local Municipality has tried unsuccessfully to eliminate the weed, but it always grows back. Now, scientists have introduced water hyacinth planthoppers: host-specific natural enemies of water hyacinth. But this new attempt to kill off the weed hasn’t been without controversy. Find more exclusive content on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 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

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟲 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯. It began as an ordinary Saturday for Fanie Smith, a resident and business owner on the Vaal River in Gauteng. But in the space of just two hours, Smith and his neighbours were forced to evacuate their homes and flee to higher ground. When 12 of the dam’s 60 sluice gates were opened – all at once - millions of litres of water were sent cascading downstream, destroying homes and properties as low-lying areas were washed away. But residents say that the disaster could’ve been avoided. Continuous rainfall and rising dam levels were a signal to gradually open the sluice gates in the weeks prior and would have prevented the flooding. Carte Blanche finds out what really happened. Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://bit.ly/PodcastCB

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟵 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮. Jagersfontein, a small town in the Free State, is home to the oldest open-pit diamond mine in South Africa. In this little-known community, Sunday mornings usually start slowly, but on 11 September, that changed. A dam, used to store waste from the Jagersfontein diamond mine, collapsed, triggering heavy flooding that left death and destruction in its wake. More than 70 people were injured, local farmers lost livestock, and at least 60 homes were damaged by the flood waters. But residents here say that the mine owners were warned on numerous occasions about the danger posed by this tailings dam. Carte Blanche investigates. Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://bit.ly/PodcastCB