Welcome to the documentary from the BBC world service where we report the world, however difficult the issue, however hard to reach costs from the BBC world service. I supported by advertising time bad barging, in to your favorite news broadcasts, good news, ad free sitting on amazon music is included with your prime membership. Just. the amazon dot com, slash ad free news broadcasts to catch up on the latest episode without the ads and without an acre shows every continent such as we have that I can't it's danny pellegrino from the pile culture, podcast everything iconic- and I love it. Nord stream no place to shop, particularly during the holiday season, because they have everything they have holiday. De corps Nord stream, the cosy cardigans from barefoot dreams, my fave, they have pulled attire party, attire, plus free shipping and free returns, free store, pick up

it also purchase or recycled fabric gift bags, or your item arrives festive unwrapped, so check nord stream, this holiday season, a one stop shop. You can splore more at Nord stream in store or online at Nord stream. Tat tom. The global story is lee podcast helping you makes sense of them. join me? Catch your adler every week day, as I take a closer look at the stories making the headlines with insights from the BBC's global network of experts, search for the global story, wherever you get your bbc BC costs. Well figel, the children of Paradise, I know, is a quote from. some mandela, the big man, why did you want to make the series thirty years ago I was the bbc's southern africa correspondent

and witnessing the extraordinary transition from you not place were black and white were separated at every level where people couldn't sit on the same park. Bench go in the same buses with seeing the remove from that to a morning where I saw black people voting for the first time. That was one of the foundational experiences of my life. Now, thirty years later, I want to see what's because the democracy that was good on that day. In case anyone interested my name's john I'm, the produce of this series and the first episode is centred around halting. Basically, the johannesburg region welcome to the door inventory, from the BBC world service, I'm Fergal Keane three decades: midnight in south africa. I watched as the old apartheid flag was lord, and a new country was born again, as the upper plays. God bless us I can see black people running up the steps here, people who have heard that clarity

You blocks of air now running to be here to be part of this moment and now the chief of the crowd. It was a time of extraordinary home felt most power lee among the struggling millions of black south africans like cynthia entebbe living in desperate conditions in a squatter camp outside johannesburg. the shape? You can see us then. If I even want a place to sleep, I also sleep with this more children outside, because I'm suffering and suffering, because I'm black cynthia and her children lived under a piece of plastic sheeting held up with sticks. combed. That morning we first met July, the southern winter, the would smoke from peoples

morning, cooking blending with the fog of coal fired from the nearby township of TIM Lisa. every morning. Cynthia would bury her shelter in the ground to prevent it being Bhutto's by the local authorities. Like millions of black south africans, she was judged. Squatting on somebody else's land, cynthia, He got a living by scavenging on a rubbish dump for tins any scrap metal. She could find it was unhealthy work and she earned a pittance. We are suffering because we let people move to the future must tell us we want to be they feel like.

People must be the same by them july. Nineteen. Ninety three constitutional negotiations were under way between the main political groups. There was a conviction that democratic elections were coming, Cynthia was among the millions hoping these would bring a better life, a home jobs, education, health care and peace. It was a whole encouraged by the man expected to lead to the new south africa. You might ask Your royal highness, that same year in December, nelson mandela gave a famous speech, as he collected the nobel peace prize jointly with fw de klerk south africa's last white president, a crumb on your wallet that origins of black and white into one human rights oil at fed to each one of us, and we shall all lie.

like the shoulder, nor paradox. It gives us the title for this series in which we go in search of some of the people I met thirty years ago to ask whether mandela's promise has been realised in their lives are able. I'm travelling with my former BBC colleague and dear friend, milton and cozy. We reported south africa's transition. Together we witnessed not just the end of white rule in africa, but a journey away from the degradation of the human spirit towards a shared humanity. As remember when I saw milton's mother bridges and a friend of hers, Simon captain vote for the first time back in April nineteen, ninety four still, I mean another world. I feel this can be

I feel this is true. I think for mandela sake, I've just it and I'm here created is this day is a great deal. On this day I became a human being. I became a citizen, of this country. Thirty years later milton- and I are returning to the township of ten basic between johannesburg in pretoria, near where we first met cynthia and table we knew some of the family were still living here to recalling her yeah okay to get directions: okay, good, we're looking for cynthia's, daughter, doris in a place, that's among the worst in south africa for violent crime, including murder and rape. Residents, found more than eighty percent regarded it as a very dangerous place. Fortunately, it's not too long before we spot doris, whom I first met when she was a young teenager

how are you I love you so nice to see. You Doris leads us across a patch of waste ground over scraps of plastic and sparkling glass to men lie against a wall, smoking observing down along a stream of typical box shaped township houses until we reach a square pink building

I sign in big letters, says creative party place my place, my shop myself. I felt that taking entire it's here we get our first news of her mother cynthia. She became ill with diabetes and now lives in a quiet rural area in order to have time to visit and care for her mum regularly. Doris left her nine to five job at a local mall and set up her own shop selling party treats in her life. There had been positive change from a child accompanying cynthia to dump to first getting a job and now opening a small shop. It all seemed a long way from burying their plastic shack in the ground. Thirty years before in dominant forgot to school, we had to hide the plastics at night. We have to build a game that was because the local authority, the apart it

I thought he was going to knock them down yeah and I will wait. I was shot there's one thing to remember: they used to show that that I might pull it by your shot your eyes when he shut the rubber politian. We was just it by false. Remember: I've gotta clean so when they came I was sent to run this with our was to protect my young brother coming then, and then I was shut. Yet we cannot make a deal right just in use in the act of understanding with somebody doris, his children, went to school and are doing well, but the bigger picture and ten visa isn't so happy here. More than thirty percent of the population is unemployed, power cuts so called low, shedding disrupt business and personal lives. Every day the essential infrastructure allowed to run down or sabotaged by wanted

I'm at losing around forty seven million pounds a month. The Your of services would come back again and again in conversations on our journey. You not life is that after tat, when I look at life, it's a war, you know your how's, your neighbor's house, indra street, look so neat, and so beautiful so dignified, but just a block away the outside the chemicals. very little skyline prohibition, bribing sewage load, just tell us what. It is to leave here. What are the problems here? Yeah they electricity, two years I do have electricity twists was leaving. You can see my birthday, I susan tat pro this, both okay, so henderson. Just looking at this

an old teresa so using puffing stuff now, and then I put that in light of this, it's a solar panel, but by the thief. Why didn't you have electricity for two years at because they say this: isn't yoga you're going to cut it yeah, because that five people, who limits the city from home, the greed of the day, they have what are called illegal, connect connection so there, hold easy in that ensure that is a snake, saw the government in its drive to stop illegal connection said you must catch the snake, which is also from an african proverb. Cutting the electricity for decent people like a sea is at present the other big thing which we re, but all the time is about corruption. Eating the money in government, so that you

no services are very poor. Services have been big protest here about services. Corruption is tonight's, look at the what's. It called when they visit gravel all over this, nor It was because it does not pay the tarmac out of this first being here for a long time. Not a case does not just light, so I'm turning this place is not the nice place to leave is not at all to live like this doris, It's hard to help, support her own children and her extended family amid the more The challenges of life and ten basic there's still a powerful emphasis on the bonds of family, a safe harbour when the state is failing a off I remember AMOS as a youngster now, he's in his early forties. Helping his doris with her new shop, the story of his life journey.

like that of so many young black south africans, among the unemployment rate is now over. Sixty percent do have family Why does he still have a family? Is what the good noises you know, there's no legal finance, so they left me to win two from eleven okay. So that's out east yeah was I couldn't afford to do, maintain you now get to children, which is normally took over the food in an attempt to get luke cage. Mr as used give him something when I'm sailing, I can't say it hasn't been two hundred right now, to buy some small mean. If you send money for the fund is, do you ever get to see them? there's been no one you ever since I see them cause. You got to get these very expensive and what about your kids? Are they at school there scrooged? Everyone is sixty. No one is seventeen. Let's go see what do you think that they will be able to have it?

without a better chance. Yeah just wanted to try more, since they are all at the gym to the future. They can, you know not to become like me, you know cause it's my dream to be successful, but I couldn't so. I don't want them to The same is needs pointing to go further with life. Have all been, regional bright future noted in forty years ago, The agency was one challenged here at very different now, because of corruption. Massive issue on the doorstep. Failure to deliver services. Failure to deliver employment, but the most radical voice now is that of the e f f, the economic freedom fighters and they ve come on with a very populist agenda targeted, What they say is quite control of the economy, and one of their members is here in two,

LISA we're on our way to measure get their perspective. The local e f f rap is violet le bitter, but this encounter woods rise me. The woman in front of us seemed weary. There was no radical rhetoric, but a story of personal crisis. You ve got your camouflaged top on the economic. freedom in our lifetime, the boxes I get straight to the point. What do you think is the answer to the problems of tunisia Manga work go a gag, commode faith. I saw our problems here around drugs and the youth

because, even if they have parents, they don't get the necessary support. They need. Who did you vote for back and ninety ninety four and the first elections, Do you have families do have children yourself? It is your turn to the utmost nato h of fifteen is smoking That is in no I'm talking. She's pregnant I dont know why she, goodness short, is that the reason why you want to fight the drugs if no gets bogged down she is leaving and is quite a place. I have a hand where she leaves, but I comical with that alone, because that place is dangerous. I help many people.

But when they're supposed to come and help me to get my daughter out of that situation, I'm left to fight it alone. Turkey, of course we understand Fatima. Well, then she's just become over. In the sand gone back into her home and teaches you all, politics is personal she's become an activist because of that I mean you could hear that whatever the litany of grievances, I don't yet see just got stuck in on the anti drug abuse and, of course, the other very striking thing is thirty years ago there was drugs It is mostly definitely weed and contracts tablets. Crystal meth didn't exist that level of grossly addictive drugs.

Sweeping through here. The agency argues that it inherited a huge apart, a legacy of poverty and inequality that its created a system of welfare grants and provides basic education and health care built millions. Houses and that vastly more numbers of children are in school now, but there is simply no hiding how graft has eaten away at services and the social fabric. More funds go My name is pelagia, that's all, I have let the is the leading in the structures of the sea. the term agency activist representative. In this tension, do you feel ashamed of the corruption that your party has presided over

look. I was going to feel ashamed if that was one of the agency policy. There is no way with its policy is poor collection as individuals. We do june the organization and you get those everyone. Unfortunately, some of then, along the way they didn't resort to very bad things. Am I proud that they have a pinch? No, I'm not, of course, I'm not because a lot of people on the street judge us on. those business you knock. Hence we are taking very logical, measures in at two states our again but less chuck posted the elections next year, because out of are understanding? Fourgette? You just do not to have to be

Humble yourself talk to them addressed the contents, and you know, I would say they have the patience of since with the agency after tat, everything I have put themselves, but Don't worry he's not blindly, and now we are you, I mean we're gonna cost. You look, for example, at the voting for the eyes, an odd because they shall have had our corruption dominates. Public discourse looking back, I was naive and ninety. Ninety four I was susceptible to wishful thinking the losing of state resources began quickly. From vast stolen through corrupt arms transactions, to the day to day corruption of local from an tenders, the aids? stranglehold on political power, enabled a culture of arrogance culminating in the epic, corruption of the Jacob zuma era, but zuma ended up going to prison

of inquiry, exposed the wrongdoing and brave people, as they had always done here, spoke out. This makes this a safe space. This is lost if anything they have meetings here, we could meet those kind of precautions, exactly I'm meeting cynthia simple that this business school in johannesburg in two thousand- sixteen she lost her job as group treasure of south african airways, for raising the alarm about a crooked deal worth hundreds of millions. They all understood that the problems and needs time to fix. What is disappointing. Is that when you look back now and you saying how but we allow tat satisfy cynthia's now, executive. director of an organization called whistleblower house which has supported more than one hundred and six

deep whistleblowers in the last year I mean you should have been one of the symbols of the new south africa, given the job that you you had. What went wrong if I may put one word greed. That's me. Is everything every country has its problems, but what we ve seen in our country over such a short space of time is that it is like hence like every body needed to also read and take. But this way there have trinity college Many mentions all over the country. End I believe in you, ask yourself? How can you live all over the place? A quantum time you you could live, enjoy it it? They religion, if I may use a strong word raked the country, that's how I feel about corruption having lost her job when cynthia sent out her

impressive cv. She was shunned by prospective employers. Nobody, Seemed wanted to upset the politically powerful by hiring her but whistle in south africa can have far more deadly consequences. All six occurs, and the murder of whistle blower Bobby tat deal koran have pleaded guilty to her twenty twenty one murder. It's part of our times, killers of whistleblowers and dissidents were usually white security police. Now they can be hitman hired by powerful figure with links to the ruling party and organised crime. Yet still people like cynthia's dimple continue to fight During the time of me, having been suspended, outlets followed for a full month and bets, and these been three break ins in home? So, yes, I drive very cautiously and if I see anything strange across following me,

I bypass my home, I bypass my daughter's homes so that I don't ya some just very vigilant and very cautious. Have you thought of leaving no, and my husband is german by the way, so you could. I could, and I have a german residence permit. I could go live the anytime bad. I feel my purpose right now is here. I need to leave a legacy for my grandchildren. need to develop the sea. For my children, if I dont think who's going to do it and are determined, having down the well paved road

if the pretoria in a place called bubble pilot one of the townships created under apartheid rule and it's a jarring sequence of images driving along because you have the mounds of rubbish plastic, spread everywhere across trees across the field, then a gleaming new petrol station and also bright purple of jacaranda coming into bloom. Now here in the springtime. Milton- and I set out on this journey, asking of mandela's promised to make his people the children of Paradise, had been realised. Now several hours drive from term basis. We first met her in nineteen. Ninety three: it was time to put that question to cynthia mtb. Because of the extended family have come to greece's children, teenagers, adults, cynthia son, philip and your granddaughter doris has done

tandy lead us inside does it was tat eyesight I probably make them see again line which was smiling. I must make because some Let me sit down beside you have, MR. He was away all here among vegetable plots in a house built with the help of her children. Cynthia has escaped from the bustle and crime of tembisa to a place of safety in the twilight of her. I can so nice here what lotta please. while men who were by what lovely I come here because they want to do is not fighting.

And is it safer here? No yeah they receive is safe. Ask me what the lights we ve got three weeks now. Three weeks, without any light or electricity, that's a difficult scene, but I think they are busy now to try to fix it is that they fix things, because we always ass they just doing up and also we know we don't know. What's gonna fix, if they're just doing up and getting benefits, and they just kind of see it happen. That's tandy hear cynthia's granddaughter tandy, just a question to you. What is life like now? Right now I will say we as everything we are trying to survive or with the whole somebody.

Currently in the whole family. I was the only one who's working together with my own brother, but of how many people out of ok, I mean, could it out twenty or twenty people Yes, financially largely dependent on two of you and is trying to push us my momentum beside the small shop.

Also that the sweet shop that we saw- okay, so that between just the struggle never ends, does it touch too much cynthia? When I first met you back in nineteen, ninety three, you were hoping for a country where you would be equal to the white people. Do you feel that you have that you are equal now, never people are suffering figure, they will say. Vote vote vote vote we vote, but nothing happened to south africa. Why do you think things haven't worked in south africa? So definitely guys? No good! No as long as he's pocket can fool up with money, not you other people,

no corruption. In other words, they just look for his well, that's all not for us not milton. What do you feel when you hear that my suffer yeah it it it it it? It's sad because these are the exact people that democracy needed to lift out of poverty. It's an indictment on this government, because these are the people who are supposed to seeing the government's plans to say under white minority road we suffered now our brothers and sisters, ain't charge. We are now living better than we did and about it. But clearly, that's not the case

I'm old, no figure, seventy seven years, but you're, looking good cynthia, I'm not drinking hate, just go to the church and pray everything. That's all. The children of Paradise was presented by me forget keen with milton and cozy. The producer was John murphy, something mysterious, plagues, county mayo on the west coast of ireland and its legendary gaelic football team? I believe in the cars yeah. I think it's real. Is it just superstition or could there be more to it? Sometimes, I think there's something similar you're gonna. What do we need to do so when an online file for maya listened curious tale of the male curse on amazing Port stories from the BBC world service, sir four amazing sport stories. Wherever you got your bbc podcast. tired

Bad barging in to your favorite news broadcasts, good news, ad free sitting on amazon music is included with your prime membership. Just The amazon, dot com, slash ad free news broadcasts to catch up on the latest episode without the ads. And without an acre, shows every continent such as we have that.