Coming up on
Carte Blanche this Sunday 19 January 2025:
Stellenbosch Police Failures
In October last year, Carte Blanche investigated the emergence of a disturbing crime trend in Stellenbosch: the abductions and muggings of university students.
Just days before the broadcast, a Stellenbosch University student, 19-year-old Jesse Mitchell, was murdered.
He was cycling home in the early hours of the morning after working on a project with fellow students when he was attacked, robbed of his backpack and cell phone, and stabbed in the neck. He died within minutes.
Had university authorities and the police done more to inform students of the dangers surrounding them, could Jesse's murder have been avoided?
Sources reveal that petty crime in the picturesque town has been escalating for months, with parts of Stellenbosch demarcated as crime hotspots. The targets: university students.
And the police response leaves much to be desired. In one case, a violent mugging reported to the police station in April 2024 was closed the very next day with no further contact from the investigating officer.
In this investigation, Carte Blanche uncovers how Stellenbosch police are apparently failing to properly investigate these crimes, and how the university failed to adequately alert students to the surging crime wave.
Producer: Catherine Rice
Presenter: Lourensa Eckard
A Frozen Masterpiece
In the heart of Sweden’s Lapland, a mythical wonder emerges each European winter: the world-renowned Ice Hotel.
Sculpted from blocks of pristine ice and snow, this boutique hotel is an architectural marvel that exists only temporarily, melting away each spring before its spectacular rebirth in the frosty embrace of winter.
Each year, designers from around the globe submit proposals for a chance to transform one of its rooms into a work of art.
Last December, South African designer Corban Warrington achieved a rare honour, becoming only the second African in 35 years to contribute to this iconic project.
His design, titled Yesterday’s Tomorrow, seamlessly fuses South African heritage with Arctic aesthetics, crafting a spectacular piece of art in a paradoxical union of steam and ice.
Carte Blanche joined Corban in the Arctic as he breathed life into his design with picks and shovels.
Producer & Presenter: Nickolaus Bauer
Premiere episodes of Carte Blanche air on M-Net on Sundays at 19h00.