Letter: Need probing programmes

THE Sunday night programme, Carte Blanche, has over the years come under fairly robust criticism as to the perceived negativity of its subject matter. The feeling in some circles is that the bulk of that programme’s productions centre on corruption, mismanagement, apathy, cases of assault including rape of children, and so on. These exposures are not directed at the government alone but across the private sector as well. Nobody is immune. For many, watching Carte Blanche is a depressing experience better avoided. They relegate themselves to the mythical world of the ostrich who allegedly buries his head in sand at the first sight of trouble. Carte Blanche in its December 6 programme covered two issues that in my mind overshadowed practically all the hell and brimstone of the past. The first was the pollution of Table Bay.

My overwhelming fear is that Table Bay is not on its own. It is reasonably safe to assume that the entire coast from Richards Bay to Cape Town is guilty of precisely the same thing. The second issue was the mismanagement of our national parks which is devastating our natural heritage and clearly making fat cats even fatter. The programme divulged that more than 90% of the budget allocated for the management of these parks went to salaries! In that same programme it was exposed that locals were raping the land of wood and poaching the wildlife wholesale. Where would we be without the investigative journalism and fearless intent of Carte Blanche? Would we, like the mythical ostrich, wallow in glorious ignorance and live our lives surrounded by totally unacceptable behaviour? With being raped every which way by glutinous bureaucrats and opportunist citizens alike, it is not only our moral duty to keep ourselves informed, but it is indeed our patriotic responsibility. Long live Carte Blanche!