Episode 1: The Chuckling Pensioner
South Africa’s ex-President believes he’s being poisoned. But by whom? And why? When police arrive to arrest him, his supporters warn the country is on the brink of an explosion.
South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma believes he has been poisoned, repeatedly. He claims to be the victim of a long, sophisticated, and unfinished plot to assassinate him. But who would want to kill a man still celebrated for his role as a fighter in the struggle against apartheid? Could it be linked to the allegations of massive corruption against him? Or is there a broader conspiracy at work – an international plot to silence a man who claims to be speaking up for South Africa’s neglected poor? In this five-part series the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ’s Africa correspondent, Andrew Harding, digs into a mystery that links a case of poisoned underpants, to a plot to kill Nelson Mandela, to this year’s riots that left 300 South Africans dead. In this episode, Zuma's early years.
'Poison' is the story of one man's toxic obsession and the battle for South Africa's future.
Presenter: Andrew Harding
Producer: Vauldi Carelse
Sound mix: James Beard
Series editor: Bridget Harney
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Broadcasts
- Mon 27 Sep 2021 13:45Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Mon 11 Oct 2021 23:30Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
Poison – the mystery of South Africa’s toxic new political conspiracy
Who is poisoning South Africa's politicians?