It was with a bit of misgiving that I recently headed to Limpopo province to work with reporters at the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s regional station. The national office back in Johannesburg was hankering for stories about ordinary people amid constant unrest. The idea was to get reporters out of the main city, Polokwane, and into the field, fields being quite literal since Limpopo is 90% rural and one of the poorest provinces in South Africa.

Polokwane, however, has been a cauldron of political activity – at times, that can be taken literally.

Alcoholism and binge drinking are serious problems here in Mozambique. Among the vile, cheap and lethal spirits sold – those with high alcohol content and low price, guaranteed to hit you like a punch from Rumble in the Jungle - the most popular is Tentacão (which means temptation, in Portuguese), less than US$1 for half a pint. Other brands are Lord Gin, Double Punch, Boss, Rhino and Paradise. The cheapest, Lord Gin, with 43% alcohol, costs US$1 for half a liter.

Though underage drinking is technically illegal here, no one seems to check.