The Africans: Tools of Exploitation. Regards the deliberate and subtle methods of economic exploitation in Africa in post-colonial times. Edited unmixed program originally shot on film.
Title sequence of various scenes in Africa.
Title/Credits
MSs of host Ali Mazrui walking across a barren desert area; EST shots of this wasteland, cracked dry soil;
Silhouette of a large termite hill
Mr. Mazrui describes how tribesmen in this part of Africa used termites in the processing of copper.
LS of dynamite blast in a copper mine, zoom in to soot. TLS/CUs of large tractors and trucks loading blasted copper ore. LSs copper mining operation. Black Africans working in copper mine. Cranes lift large heaps of soil. This appears to be a strip mine. Discussion of the Colonialists' arguments that they were entitled to plunder the mineral resources of Africa.
Host Ali Mazrui, standing in mine, says that exploitation of Africa's resources continues to accelerate, yet ironically Africa remains poor, despite the wealth of gold and diamonds.
LSs copper mining operation. This appears to be a strip mine.