Book Apartheid

Investigative report by Debbie Potgieter, Palesa Mashigo and Robyn Perros

This 10minute documentary investigates why only 0.5% of all books are accessible to the 800,000 visually impaired persons in South Africa due to copyright laws. The absence of these resources means that visually impaired persons face fewer educational and employment opportunities and higher illiteracy rates — making them one of the countries’ most economically and socially disadvantaged groups. The World Information Property Organization (WIPO) hosts a discussion to remove the strict copyright barriers that help create what is being called the “book famine” or “book apartheid.” We exammine how a bureaucratically burdensome treaty would do nothing to help end the book famine; but if a workable treaty were agreed upon, a new chapter would be opened for the inclusion of blind and print disabled people in our society.

Mud School Crisis – a decade of broken promises

Investigative report by Tassyn Munro, Jack Kaminski & Kirsten Allnutt

In 2004, former president Thabo Mbeki made a promise to eradicate all mud schools in the Eastern Cape, saying that “by the end of [2004], we shall ensure that there is no learner learning under a tree, [or in a] mud school.” But almost a decade later, such a promise is yet to be fulfilled. A team of Rhodes Journalism School TV students set out to investigate the reasons behind the delay in the eradication process, and whether Motshekga’s latest promise of 2015 will not merely be another broken commitment.
The investigation takes place primarily in two districts of the Transkei, namely Dutywa and Libode. These two districts have been effected differently by the eradication process, with Libode being more prioritised than Dutywa. As the investigation uncovers various reasons for the delay in progress, such as road works, contractors, material shortages and mismanagement of funds, the department of education is attempting to fast-track the eradication process through a programme known as the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Development Initiative (ASIDI).
Report by Tassyn Munro, Jack Kaminski & Kirsten Allnutt

The Capacity to Endure

Investigative report by Minette van der Walt and Raphaela Linders

Zwelendinga and New Rest are informal settlements nestled in a milkwood Forest on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. Residents of these settlements have been living in poor conditions for more than 40 years. Everyday they face tough issues with sanitation, water access and lack of proper housing. After service protests by the community, the local municipality has started to provide standard RDP houses to the communities. However it was soon discovered that these are not a viable option due to the informal settlements location within the milkwood forest. Minette van der Walt and Raphaela Linders went to investigate a proposed solution; sustainable development. The proposed plan is to build a prototype sandbag house as an alternative to the standard RDP houses.

The community’s reaction to the film and an update on the unfolding story are posted at http://youtu.be/ahBXcpTyZkY and http://youtu.be/RdkrHEWXQcM

Proceed with Caution

Investigative documentary by Martin Bleazard, Kelley Wake and Justin Archer.

The Eastern Cape has some of the deadliest roads in South Africa. More people die on the road from Mthatha and East London annually than any other road in South Africa and yet surprisingly the Eastern Cape statistics show that is has the 6th lowest rating of policing on the roads. We set off to investigate what solutions the government is implementing and what impact these roads have on people that use them like farmers and paramedics

On the Move – the horrors of hitch-hiking

Production by Charmian Africa, Sungeni Chithambo & Enathi Mqokeli

This investigative story explores the tragic murder of Lelona Fufu, a Rhodes graduate who was killed in Port Elizabeth when hiking to her graduation ceremony in Grahamstown. The piece thus looks into the culture of hitch-hiking and the different issues involving it in the Eastern Cape. The story comprises of four components, the Fufu hike gone wrong, public opinion about hitch-hiking, a case study about a grade 8 pupil who hitch-hikes home after school and experts also give more insight into the issue.

Beneath the Surface

By Thomas Mills, Gabi Zietsman and Christopher Tucker.
Investigative documentary 10min

Commercial shark fishing is one of the least publicized industries in South Africa. Experts, restaurant owners and retailers say that shark meat is a viable food source but regulations and policy is in disarray;. This documentary shows that this industry exists and has to be regulated to be susatainable. We travel along the Eastern Cape coastline to a St Francis Bay factory that processes shark and sells it. We meet shark conservationists to hear what the industry could do for tourism and environmental impact and a restaurant owner who serves shark on his menu.
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