Vrot. That’s how Carte Blanche producer, Graham Coetzer described the living conditions atMelchizedek, a huddle of condemned buildings in the Pretoria CBD. “Devs, it’s hectically vrot,” Graham said qualifying Melchizedek’s level of decay after he had spent an evening there with the police. But, I don’t skrik for vrot. I do vrot all the time.… Continue reading The Clutches of Melchizedek
Category: Carte Blanche
Not a Drop of Water to Drink
It’s dry in the Free State. Dry and hot. You can feel the dust in your throat. Matted into your hair. Pushed deep under your fingernails. Printed into your eyeballs. Five minutes in the sun is long enough to cause a heat rash. Livestock stand lifeless in the ruthless heat and along the N6 we… Continue reading Not a Drop of Water to Drink
What it’s like covering Oscar Pistorius
It all started with an SMS from a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time. Sash: “Any chance of lunch today? Please? Too many stories to catch up on.” Me: “Wish I could. But on Oscar today.” Sash: “Oscar?” Me: “Ya. Oscar Pistorius.” Sash: “Ag. Do you realise that for you, Oscar is like… Continue reading What it’s like covering Oscar Pistorius
Birth of Death
This was one of the most difficult stories I have ever had to work on. Heart-wrenching. What if you fell pregnant and, at 25 weeks gestation, you lost your baby? Just like that. One day you could feel your baby moving inside you and the next day, doctors say your baby is in trouble. Big… Continue reading Birth of Death
Wild Pets
You’re either an animal person or you are not. I’m an animal person. You’re either a dog or cat person. I’m a dog person. Cats make me feel like staff. Now, for the big money question … Are you an exotic pet person? Exotic pet, like a tiger? No thanks. I’m not off my head.… Continue reading Wild Pets
Gita November
It’s after 10pm on a weekday night and transgender sex worker Gita November and I are standing on a Saldanha street corner. Hours earlier I realised I’m not appropriately dressed. Black boots, black shift dress and too much makeup. I look the part. (Listen to Devi read her blog.) The other working girls are looking… Continue reading Gita November
Just a spoonful?
At first, I didn’t get it. Why would somebody pile teaspoons of sugar into their mouths on a regular basis and like it? Drug addiction, alcohol addiction – I get that. Socially unacceptable, with devastating effects on the addict and loved ones. So this is how I walked into the first interview for our sugar addiction… Continue reading Just a spoonful?
Money or Medals
Most of us didn’t even know we had a world-class rowing team until they won gold at the 2012 Olympic Games. While it was an unexpected bonus that our rowing (rowing?) team had brought home gold in the Men’s Lightweight division, the real money was on the Big Fish – Cameron van der Burgh and… Continue reading Money or Medals
Meeting The Doctors
When producer Joy Summers took me along to interview two returning South African doctors who’d been working on the frontlines of the Ebola outbreak, I wondered whether I should make a mental note not to shake hands with them. I don’t ‘skrik’ easily, but I had those dreadful images in my head of patients lying… Continue reading Meeting The Doctors
Too Old To Drive?
My grandfather, who passed away at 95, drove until around 80 years of age when he became a hazard on the road – bumping other cars, forgetting where he had parked his car and then reporting it missing. This was beginning to happen more and more. Getting him to stop driving was difficult. How do… Continue reading Too Old To Drive?