Saturday, August 25, 2012

Programming note: Carte Blanche on M-Net acts fast with a Marikana mine massacre story and perspective for Sunday night at 19:00.

Carte Blanche on M-Net acted swiftly and will have a story on the Marikana mine massacre at Lonmin this Sunday night at 19:00.

I actually asked M-Net during last week whether this past weekend's Carte Blanche would address or include any Marikana mine massacre coverage.

I never got any answer, but Carte Blanche didn't quickly insert some reference in an insert with Derek Watts doing a voiceover and bringing Marikana into a story this past Sunday night.

Meanwhile Carte Blanche producer Joy Summers has been hard at work with journalist Amalia Christoforou and presenter Bongani Bingwa cover Marikana.

"As South Africa assesses the implications of the Lonmin killings and various inquiries get underway, the only good that can come out if it, say many, is that government may perhaps begin to confront the realities of poverty," says Carte Blanche in a pre-release episode blurp for Sunday night's episode. "There are power struggled underway as well, with unions and politicians accused of furthering their own agendas."

Tomorrow night Carte Blanche will also be looking at "Black Gold and Hot Rocks" - an investigation into fake scams involving diamond and oil deals.

"Diamond deals in Angola, oil wells in Texas and millions changing hands - for investors who bought into these deals, promises of great riches turned into nothing more than threats. Carte Blanche followed this case from London to Las Vegas until we finally tracked down the alleged mastermind right here in Gauteng."

The producer of this insert is Graham Coetzer, with the indominable Devi Sankaree Govender presenting and Susan Comrie as the journalist.