South Africa: Liberty, Inequality and Fraternity with Russia / Redaktsiya
Recently, South Africa has become one of Russia’s most unexpected allies. It would seem, at first glance, that our countries don’t have much in common, yet South Africa turned out to be closely connected to Russia.
Over the course of our lengthy trip that took us across South Africa, Alexey Pivovarov investigates the story behind the apartheid regime that drove a wedge between black and white people. How did Nelson Mandela manage to crush the regime after 27 years behind bars? Why did the “beautiful South Africa of the future” that was universally praised 30 years ago, end up riddled with corruption, crime and devastating economic issues which neither black nor white people know how to solve? Why is it now so important for the country to have friendly relations with the Kremlin?
Contents:
00:00 We’re in the Republic of South Africa!
02:00 The most famous rugby championship final in history
09:00 Separate entrances, benches and districts: how black people lived during apartheid
14:20 What are townships?
15:15 How did the story of the world’s most famous political prisoner, Nelson Mandela, start?
18:31 Executions of protesters and the radicalization of the fight
22:03 How did the Soviet Union help fight the apartheid regime?
23:49 The story of Ahmed Timol, who was killed during a police interrogation
26:07 When and how was Nelson Mandela arrested?
30:50 How did apartheid even start?
38:16 What were those who worked for the apartheid government thinking at the time?
40:50 The photo that helped attract global attention to the oppression of black people in South Africa
45:00 How did censorship and propaganda work during apartheid?
47:12 The story of Sixto Rodriguez, a construction worker from Detroit who became a superstar in South Africa
55:30 What was Mandela’s second wife Winnie accused of?
58:30 The beginning of the regime’s end
1:03:58 President de Klerk, a South African Gorbachev
1:06:11 Mandela’s release from prison after 27 years of confinement: the reaction of the nation and his family
1:12:00 How did life in South Africa change after Mandela became president?
1:15:30 The Truth and Reconciliation Commission: how did apartheid leaders show remorse, if any?
1:22:26 Did South Africa eventually succeed in fighting apartheid?
1:27:00 Districts where white people are still not allowed
1:29:00 A typical wealthy suburb: fences with barbed wire and a local private security firm
1:33:00 Why does South Africa have such a high crime rate?
1:36:30 A modern White reservation
1:49:20 Today, South Africa is the most unequal country in the world
1:52:08 What does the life of Nelson Mandela’s family look like?
1:56:00 Corruption and unemployment: at what point did everything in South Africa go awry again?
2:01:47 Jacob Zuma, the most controversial South African president
2:03:45 Why is South Africa growing closer to Russia?
2:06:00 The connection between the oligarch Viktor Vekselberg and the ruling party of South Africa
2:07:15 The Russian ship “Lady R” controversy
2:09:00 Every day, South African cities experience load shedding. Why?
2:11:55 How is freedom of speech regarded in South Africa now?
2:15:00 South African wine: here, they drink it even at breakfast!
2:18:40 What does Mandela’s family think about current events in South Africa?
2:19:47 Why is there so much talk about a “strong hand” in South Africa?
2:22:30 What kind of future is in store for the county?
2:25:50 What can we learn from the history of South Africa?
