After visiting more than 80 countries in 40 years, Burnham-On-Sea teacher, explorer and author Michael Turner has been travelling again – heading across Africa.
The Burnham adventurer has just completed an epic 1,200 mile hitch-hiking investigative journey from Zambia to Zimbabwe.
After crossing the Victoria Falls, Michael carried out two surveys connected with world news.
He explained: “This year, idealistic students at Cape Town University, behind a campaign called ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ made world headlines when they dismantled the statue of Cecil Rhodes because he was a colonial racist.”
“Consequently, a question was presented to the panel on BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions: ‘Should the statue of Rhodes in London receive the same fate?’ The answer was no.”
“On my visit, I interviewed black and white Zimbabweans who all stated that history should stand as it cannot be undone.”
“A black Zimbabwean man appeared on one of my forthcoming YouTube videos stating that Rhodes brought development and one of his legacies is a scholarship; others include a fruit juice company and the unfortunate Cecil the lion.”
Both men shook hands over the grave of Rhodes inside Matopos National Park on the hill which Rhodes named as the View of the World.
Michael says he found no citizen who had a good word to say about leader Robert Mugabe.
“Everyone knew he banned the BBC because the truth was not in his interest. I had to be very careful with my cameras near government buildings where there were riot squads with shields and water canon ready to quell any demonstrations and because newspaper posters claimed Britain had sent spies into the country.”
Michael’s Youtube Playlist is available by searching for ‘Turner’s Travels’.
