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Devi Sankaree Govender bids farewell to Carte Blanche

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Devi Sankaree Govender says she will never forget her time with Carte Blanche. (Photo: Facebook/ Devi Sankaree Govender)
Devi Sankaree Govender says she will never forget her time with Carte Blanche. (Photo: Facebook/ Devi Sankaree Govender)

She’s spent nearly two decades chasing crooks, delving deep into current affairs and unearthing the often-ugly truth about the world we live in.

And now, esteemed journalist Devi Sankaree Govender will bid farewell to Carte Blanche.

“Working on Carte Blanche has been one of the greatest privileges of my life,” Devi says emotionally. “It led me into the hearts, minds and homes of our people.”

The show has been engrained in her DNA from the very first time she watched an episode in 1988.

Growing up in the small town of Umzinto in Kwa-Zulu Natal, the show resonated so strongly with the then 15-year-old Devi that she confidently told her family she would one day be part of the Carte Blanche team.

Her dream became a reality in January 2002 with a baptism by fire. Her first assignment was to cover the horrific rape of nine-month-old Baby Tsepang. 

And it’s a fire with which she’s tackled every story.  

With an inherent need for justice coursing through her veins, Devi never shied away from turning on the heat in interviews, whether CEOs, infamous businessmen or government ministers sat across from her. 

“My fondest memories of the show will always be tied to pinning down the bad guys,” she says. “That’s what I do best. But I also loved the celebrity interviews. Lionel Richie brought out the 80s schoolgirl in me when I got to show off my toneless singing voice.”

During her 18-year stint on Carte Blanche, Devi raised two children, joined boards like Business and Arts South Africa and completed an MBA degree. 

And now she’s on to the next phase of her life – ensuring her kids’ dreams become reality while simultaneously ticking more experiences off her bucket list.

“When my daughter finished matric last year and received a golf scholarship to the US, I instinctively knew that it was time to tick off more items on my bucket list,” she says, adding that it wasn’t an easy move.  

“It was an incredibly difficult decision to move on, but I will always remember what Trevor Noah told me during our interview in New York: ‘Once you think you are at the top, then you should be finding the place where you are at the bottom.’ I look forward to the future but will never forget my past."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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