𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟰 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. It began as an investigation into one Gauteng midwife who was allegedly administering a dangerous drug to her patients to induce labour without their consent. The drug sped up the delivery, sending the unborn baby into distress; several newborns allegedly died in the process. But it seems she isn’t the only midwife playing recklessly with the lives of vulnerable pregnant women and their babies. Startling new evidence has revealed that some midwives at private home birthing centres are operating outside their scope of practice – possibly in the pursuit of profit. In some instances, midwives insist on delivering the baby even when it’s in distress, because sending the patient to a nearby hospital means losing money. Carte Blanche investigates. Find more exclusive content on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟳 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. It’s something few parents of children with severe disabilities ever discuss – at least not openly: the personal toll measured in stress and frustration. In some homes, the burden can become so isolating and depressing that parents sometimes keep children locked indoors for days at a time. In the Western Cape, state-sponsored Iris House Children’s Hospice provides a vital free service that gives parents much-needed respite from the pressures of raising children with disabilities. But it’s a service under threat. By the end of April, drastic budget cuts across various departments and provinces threaten to substantially reduce Iris House’s income. And it’s not the only NGO facing an existential crisis. Find more exclusive content on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟰 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. In November last year, a ten-year-old girl was found during a routine traffic roadblock, squashed inside the luggage compartment of a long-distance bus. She had been smuggled from Zimbabwe into South Africa under extreme conditions for several hours. But her case isn’t unusual. In this months-long investigation, Carte Blanche unravels alleged cross-border human trafficking and the shadowy figures known as transporters who are making it all possible. Undocumented foreign nationals are lured to South Africa from numerous African countries – many of them ending up on the streets of Johannesburg North. Thousands of Malawians are lured into the country on the promise of a new life, some smuggled by long-haul bus companies and funeral parlours, only to be forced into sex work and manual labour. In an even more sinister twist, many of the victims are coerced into taking out funeral policies on themselves once they reach South Africa. It’s an unusual demand but a guaranteed income as the transporters cash in on vulnerable undocumented foreign nationals. Find more exclusive content on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv

Johannesburg ratepayers are fed up. For years, residents have fought the City over exorbitant municipal bills. Then the municipality implemented what it calls “water shifting”: switching off some suburbs’ water to supply others. This left residents without water for hours and sometimes even days at a time. But instead of water bills decreasing, many increased dramatically. In several cases, desperate residents checked their meters and found them spinning out of control despite there being no water in the pipes. Carte Blanche investigates why scores of households are literally paying for the air in their water pipes, instead of the water they consume. Find more exclusive content on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv