Protectors or perpetrators? ‘Carte Blanche’ follows the story of Nathaniel Julies

Over three decades later, ‘Carte Blanche’ remains a staple watch on a Sunday night.

This week, Derek Watts follows a story that has incensed the community of Eldorado Park as well as the county - the death of Nateniël Julies.

Exploring a “Protectors or Perpetrators?”, Watt follows the story of the innocent 16-year-old boy with Down Syndrome, who was brutally gunned down on the streets of Eldorado Park.

Within days, two police officers appeared before the court charged with his murder while a third officer was taken into custody.

Furious at Nateniël’s killing, the community is now baying for blood. Just another hapless victim or could this marginalised community witness justice for his senseless death?

The community of Eldorado Park are outraged by the death of Nateniël Julies.

Watts said: “I haven’t seen such public and media interest in a court case since the Oscar Pistorius trial. It was emotionally difficult interviewing the family of Nateniël Julies and experiencing the anger of the Eldorado Park community. Could this be a turning point in the SAPS being trained to be protectors and not perpetrators? The Minister of Police assured ‘Carte Blanche’ change will happen.”

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Other stories covered in the episode include:

Something Fishy at Vanderkloof Dam?

Constructed in 1977 as a reservoir for agriculture and hydropower, the Vanderkloof Dam in the Northern Cape – fed by the Orange River – is one of the last clean habitats of the globally red-listed largemouth yellowfish. Now taxpayers are funding a research project aimed at establishing whether a commercial fishery could be viable at the dam. This is causing discord and unhappiness among the local fishermen and residents. Concerned parties claim the use of gill nets for research purposes could be fuelling the extinction of the iconic endangered species. “Carte Blanche” investigates whether the project is threatening the survival of largemouth yellowfish and in fact benefitting the community it was meant to uplift.

Zimbabwe Teetering?

As Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa offers compensation to farmers once affected by the land grabs that plunged the country into economic ruin, police step up their crackdown on dissent, arresting journalists and human rights activists. Once dubbed ‘Africa’s breadbasket’, Zimbabwe is facing a long-standing political and economic crisis and hope of the turnaround promised by the president three years ago is fading fast. “Carte Blanche” investigates how people are surviving amid crippling inflation and severe shortages of everyday necessities.

Standerton’s Broken Fire Trucks

First “Carte Blanche” exposed mismanagement, alleged corruption and ineffective service delivery in Lekwa Municipality in Mpumalanga. Now we return to investigate why there haven’t been operational fire trucks in Standerton. A functioning fire department is a crucial municipal service, especially in communities where shack fires are rife. But in this town, the municipality has dropped the ball once again and four children have since lost their young lives in separate fires.

Oscar Chalupsky’s Race of a Lifetime

Celebrated for over three decades as one of the world’s best water sportsmen and one of South Africa’s proudest sporting exports, surf ski and paddling champion, Oscar Chalupsky, is now embroiled in the fight of his life – against a cancer, with no known cure. He’s taken his adoring global fan base along with him on his social media pages, as he grappled with the pain of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. “Carte Blanche” visits the legendary champion and coach at home in Cape Town as he regains his strength.

“Carte Blanche” airs on M-Net (DStv channel 101) at 8pm.