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Episode 4

Africa with Ade Adepitan Series 1
Episode 4 of 4

The last leg of Ade Adepitan鈥檚 tour sees him travelling from the beaches of Mozambique, through South Africa. At Paradise Island, Ade finds an abandoned hotel.

The final leg of Ade Adepitan鈥檚 epic tour of Africa sees him travelling from the beaches of Mozambique, through South Africa, before ending his entire trip in Zimbabwe.

He begins on the golden sand beaches of Mozambique鈥檚 Bazaruto Archipelago, one of Africa鈥檚 highlights. At Paradise Island, he finds an abandoned hotel, a visual reminder of Mozambique鈥檚 recent history - this place was once a high-end tourist destination, but 25 years of colonial and then civil war put a stop to development. But the local wildlife has benefited from the fact that so few tourists now come here, and Ade is able to snorkel with one of the world鈥檚 most elusive sea creatures - a dugong.

Since the wars, Mozambique has struggled to develop, and Ade meets someone for whom life is especially hard 鈥� a wheelchair user like himself. In a country where disability is viewed with fear and superstition 鈥� and believed by many to be contagious 鈥� even catching a bus proves impossible for Castigo. The best thing in his life is exactly the same thing that turned Ade鈥檚 life around - wheelchair basketball - and Ade can鈥檛 help getting carried away in a game. Along the coast, at one of Mozambique鈥檚 largest ports, Ade finds out that China is investing a huge amount in Mozambique 鈥� and elsewhere across Africa. The money often comes with strings attached, but a poor country like Mozambique needs financial help, which has to come from somewhere.

Ade鈥檚 next stop is South Africa. The country is famous for its wildlife but Ade hears how Chinese influence is having a dramatic impact here 鈥� the country鈥檚 rhino population has been decimated by poachers, driven by a demand for rhino horn in Chinese medicine. Ade follows rangers with a surprising way of tackling the problem - by cutting off the rhino horn themselves, they hope to deter poachers.

Ade travels to Johannesburg to see how the country is faring 25 years after apartheid ended. On a tour of the city, he is upset to discover that although the black population now have voting rights, they are living in an economic form of apartheid, with 25% unemployed and many squatting on whatever land they can find. In an emotional scene, Ade visits a squatted piece of land, moments after the police have destroyed people鈥檚 houses, to hear claims that Mandela鈥檚 legacy has been forgotten. Land reform is the big political issue here today, with many calling for a redistribution of land from rich white farmers to the black population.

The final stop on Ade鈥檚 African adventure is Zimbabwe 鈥� where land reform has already happened, with disastrous results. Ade finds a country still struggling economically. His first stop is the Kariba dam, and a hair-raising boat ride on the vast and stunning Lake Kariba. Ade finds that locals are worried about the stability of the Kariba dam and work has begun to stabilize undermined foundations. The worrying decay of this crucial dam is a sign of how much this country suffered under the rule of Robert Mugabe.

As Ade has seen so often on his trip around Africa, Zimbabwe is a country that should be rich. It has huge quantities of gold 鈥� enough, in theory, for the entire population to be a millionaire. But there isn鈥檛 the infrastructure of investment to get at it - in a country dogged by poverty and corruption. But the departure of dictator Robert Mugabe brought a new optimism, and Ade meets gold miners who are willing to risk daily exposure to toxic mercury for every scrap of gold they can get and an entrepreneur who believes the industry can be transformed. Despite the return of violence and repression in Zimbabwe, Ade ends his journey on a high, visiting a remote hut that has been turned into the set of a music video. He joins UK indie musician Shingai Shoniwa as she shoots the video for her forthcoming debut single, Coming 主播大秀, in a country that she believes is on the up, and deserves a fresh chance.

59 minutes

Last on

Wed 15 Mar 2023 01:25
主播大秀 Four

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:04

    Neyma

    Arromba

  • 00:05

    Ghorwane

    Matarlatanta

  • 00:07

    Eyuphuro

    Akatswela

  • 00:12

    S. E. Rogie

    Dieman Noba Smoke Tafee

  • 00:13

    Ghorwane

    Sathuma

  • 00:21

    Eyuphuro

    Nifungo (The Key of The House)

  • 00:22

    Bhundu Boys

    Foolish Harp / Waerera

  • 00:35

    The Boyoyo Boys

    Vezunyawo

  • 00:39

    Prophets of da City

    Da Struggle Kontinues (Azanian Mix)

  • 00:44

    Maryam Mursal

    Sodewou (Welcome)

  • 00:45

    Marty Irwin

    Hand of Terror

  • 00:47

    Oliver Mtukudzi and The Black Spirits

    Under Pressure

  • 00:48

    JuJu

    Waide Nayde

  • 00:50

    S. E. Rogie

    Kpindigbee (Morning, Noon, and Night)

  • 00:54

    Oliver Mtukudzi and The Black Spirits

    Haungadaro

Credits

Presenter Ade Adepitan
Series Producer Olly Bootle
Executive Producer Sam Bagnall
Director Olly Bootle

Broadcasts