Latest news with #CarteBlanche
The South African
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The South African
Carte Blanche: Buried lies
Sunday, 20 July's episode of Carte Blanche investigates shocking cases of mismanaged burials, where grieving families were either given a box of mysterious ashes or discovered that their loved ones had been buried in paupers' graves without their knowledge or consent. The exposé, titled A Pauper's Grave: Unmarked and Temporary , highlights disturbing instances involving fraudulent documents, botched cremations, and funeral homes that failed to uphold the dignity that should accompany death. The report raises serious concerns about accountability in the funeral industry and the emotional toll on families left to mourn under a cloud of confusion and betrayal. Carte Blanche is a South African investigative journalism television series that airs on M-Net every Sunday at 19:00. Its first episode aired on 21 August 1988 and over the last 34-plus years has earned credibility among South African viewers for its investigation into corruption, consumer issues, and current events. Follow The South African website on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Get everything you need to know on the go at your convenience! Stay in touch by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by sending and email to info@ or a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
The South African
12-07-2025
- The South African
Carte Blanche: SANDF murder case
Sunday, 13 July's episode of Carte Blanche investigates a chilling case involving South Africa's elite special forces, now facing serious criminal allegations in court. The charges include illegal surveillance, torture, and even murder, raising urgent questions about whether a rogue faction within the South African National Defence Force is operating beyond the reach of the law. As the court proceedings unfold, the country watches closely to see if long-hidden truths will finally come to light and whether those implicated in these alleged abuses of power will face accountability. Carte Blanche is a South African investigative journalism television series that airs on M-Net every Sunday at 19:00. Its first episode aired on 21 August 1988 and over the last 34-plus years has earned credibility among South African viewers for its investigation into corruption, consumer issues, and current events. Follow The South African website on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Get everything you need to know on the go at your convenience! Stay in touch by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by sending and email to info@ or a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
ITV News
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- ITV News
What's on the menu at the state banquet?
French chef Raymond Blanc has collaborated with the Royal Household to help create Tuesday's State Banquet menu. Blanc, who was recently made an Ambassador for the King's Foundation, is cooking the first course and dessert in a partnership described by Buckingham Palace as being 'in the spirit of the Entente Cordiale'. Around 160 guests are attending the glittering banquet in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle, which has not hosted a State Visit since 2014 when Irish President Michael D Higgins travelled to the UK. The menu, which is written in French as is the custom for State Banquets, includes: Selection of Pre-Dinner Canapes A Selection of Tender Summer Vegetables from the Gardens of Le Manoir with Sage, Raw Tomato and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Dressing Supreme of Rhug Estate Chicken with Norfolk Asparagus and Tarragon Cream Le Cassis Iced Blackcurrant Parfait on a Blackcurrant-soaked Sponge with Elderflower Jelly Guests each have five glasses, and the wine list includes Domaine Evremond, Classic Cuvee, Edition I, NV; Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Etienne Sauzet, 2022; Chateau Haut-Brion; 1er Grand Cru Classe Pessac-Leognan, 1996; Louis Roederer, Carte Blanche, NV. The English sparkling wine will be used for the toast. Following dinner, guests will be served Taylor's 1977 Vintage Port and a 1948 Grande Champagne Cognac by Frapin & Co. The drinks were selected to reflect the years in which President Macron and the King were born. A special cocktail has also been created for the occasion. The 'L'entente' combines British gin with lemon curd and French pastis. It is also garnished with dried French cornflowers and English roses. It has taken almost a week to construct and lay the 50-metre table for Tuesday's banquet, which will be lit by candlelight once the evening light fades. It is adorned with hand-picked and seasonal flowers from the gardens at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, along with flowers and lavender from The Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park, which have been arranged in silver-gilt centrepieces taken from the Grand Service. Guests will move to the Music Room for a performance by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales following the banquet. Of the artists performing, flautist, Matthew Featherstone, is a British-French national and cellist, Raphael Lang, is British-American but was born and raised in Paris.
The South African
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The South African
All eyes on MaMkhize: Construction mafia, SARS officer 'hit', and more
Controversial businesswoman Shauwn Mhize – also known as MaMkhize – has been thrust into the spotlight once again following a damning report by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. And many South Africans are 'connecting the dots' about the flamboyant woman's sketchy past, which includes bribery, corruption, and tax evasion. Some are even calling out the reality TV star and former PSL club boss for being allegedly linked to the assassination attempt of a SARS official, who had been investigating her case. On Monday, 7 July, MaMkhize topped the X trends list after KZN police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkwanazi and Police Portfolio Committee chairperson linked her relations to alleged corrupt businessman Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala and Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, who has been accused of having ties to the underworld. Here's a look behind the headlines… 'Construction mafia' In August last year, MaMkhize – the CEO of the Zikhulise Group, which deals in the construction, cleaning, maintenance, and transport sectors – confessed to 'collaborating with construction mafia'. Speaking to the SABC from a Women in Construction event in Durban, she said: 'As much as there are construction mafias, it is very important to collaborate. I've been in the industry for more than 20 years, with the construction mafia involved. 'But what I do is I sit down [with them]. It's a cry for help. You need to understand what they need, and you collaborate. I've done it. I've built quite a lot of people that are coming from construction mafias, which I call business forums'. She continued: 'They've never given me problems. We must look at them as enemies. We must listen, hear them out, and meet each other halfway. That's how I've done it'. Hit on SARS official? A year ago, MaMkhize's name trended in relation to an assassination attempt on a SARS advocate assigned to a R37 million investigation into her companies. In a statement, SARS revealed that Coreth Naudé was shot three times in her car after she arrived at her hotel in Umhlanga, Durban. Commissioner Edward Kieswetter said the shooting was a deliberate assassination attempt on their official, who had been investigating high-profile cases. According to EWN, this included MaMkhize's unpaid taxes saga. THAT Carte Blanche interview A few months earlier, MaMhize appeared in an interview with Carte Blanche , which she later stormed out of. The businesswoman was questioned about benefiting from over R1 billion in government tenders over a period of 20 years. However, MaMkhize denied that any of her business had materialised from her political connections, particularly from her late mom, Florence Mkhize, an ANC stalwart. She said, 'Why can't people look at me as a young black woman who has worked very hard, who has pushed boundaries and opened doors?' She added: 'I will never entertain the noise of the world. I live in my own world with my own rules'. When asked why she had evaded tax amid a luxurious lifestyle, the 49-year-old seemingly became defensive. 'Tax matters are personal. I don't have to divulge what my problems were'. Last year, MaMkhize was slapped with a R37 million tax bill relating to her business empire. As a result, SARS filed a court application to seize 13 high-end vehicles owned by Shandi Trust and Royal AM football club, of which the reality TV star holds a majority stake. The cars have since been auctioned off. The publication added that MaMkhize was also ordered to pay R12 million in her personal capacity to SARS. MaMkhize has been linked to alleged ties with criminally accused Vusimusi Cat Matlala and Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu. Images via X During a police raid of her La Lucia home last year, law enforcement uncovered a cache of licensed firearms and ammunition, allegedly belonging to tenderpreneur Vusi 'Cat' Matlala. In 2012, IOL reported that MaMkhize faced 119 counts of tax fraud, amounting to up to R5 million, for submitting fake invoices. She later blamed the oversight on her bookkeeper, Kishal Reddy, who pleaded guilty while she pleaded not guilty. According to Mail & Guardian , she was also charged with corruption for allegedly trying to persuade a state witness in one of her tax fraud cases to tamper with evidence. All charges were later withdrawn, and Shauwn walked out of the court as a free woman. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
07-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Delhi HC rejects Çelebi's plea against revoked security clearance
The Delhi High Court on Monday rejected a petition filed by Turkish ground handling company Çelebi Airport Services India against the Centre's decision to revoke its security clearance, reported Bar and Bench. Justice Sachin Datta, who reserved the verdict on May 23, refused to stay the Centre's actions. Çelebi, part of Turkiye-based Çelebi group, provides ground handling and cargo terminal services at nine airports in India. It has been active in the country's aviation sector for over 15 years and employs more than 10,000 personnel, reported news agency PTI. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) revoked the company's security clearance on May 15. The decision came shortly after diplomatic tensions escalated, following Turkey's criticism of India's retaliatory actions targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. During court proceedings, the Centre defended the revocation, citing a significant risk to aviation security. 'Unprecedented' threats had prompted the decision, the government's counsel submitted. Çelebi's counsel, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, argued that the action was taken without adhering to due process. They said the Director General of BCAS should have issued a notice and allowed the company to be heard before taking such a step. The move, they said, was in violation of the principles of natural justice and the procedure outlined in the Aircraft Security Rules. "The notice has to say what is the proposed punishment based on the gravamen of facts. It is not a Carte Blanche. Record reasons in writing, not in your mind," he said, as quoted by Bar and Bench. The Centre, however, maintained that the clearance was withdrawn based on inputs suggesting that continued operations by the company posed a risk in the prevailing circumstances.
