"We will kick out the Chinese," says Chamisa - there is logic in his madness Nomusa Garikai

Some people have seen it as madness in Nelson Chamisa’s call of kicking the Chinese out of Zimbabwe. There is logic in that madness!

“Addressing hundreds of workers commemorating May Day in Dzivarasekwa Tuesday, Chamisa vowed to kick out Chinese investors from the country. "We will kick out the Chinese companies," said the MDC-T leader. It is hard to comprehend the level of irresponsibility behind these words,” wrote Charles, Harare in Bulawayo 24.

“Chamisa, the leader of an opposition party vying to become leader of Zimbabwe wants to spit in the face of a nation that is helping us rebuild our economy and is investing billions that will create countless jobs and propel our energy sector which is in desperate need of assistance.”

Nonsense, for the last two decades former President Mugabe has made it his business to spit into the faces of the British, Americans and the rest of the Western nations. Whilst going out of his way to promote Zimbabwe’s relationship with the East with his “Look East” policy. He even called China Zimbabwe’s “all weather friend”! And yet that did not stop Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown resulting in the 500 billion per cent, hyperinflation of 2008; the nauseating 90% unemployment rate of the last decade; etc. Why did the Chinese do nothing to stop the rot all these years?  

“He would chase away China's Sinohydro, the company which is investing $1 billion to expand the Hwange Thermal Power Station by 600 megawatts. Chamisa would end the expansion project at Kariba South Hydro Power Station which added two 150-megawatt units to the power plant, at the cost of US$533 million,” argued Charles.

“This expansion lifted Kariba's installed capacity from 750 MW to 1,050 MW, making it currently the country's biggest power plant.”

Charles is just a fool, he does not know the half of what he is talking about and thus makes a complete ass of himself!

The $1 billion is a freebie from Chinese; we, the people of Zimbabwe, are going to pay for it, directly and indirectly, ten or twenty fold. These secretive deals have the making of corruption and all manner of wasteful malpractice. These deals must be denounced and the people involved booted out of the country if, for no other reason, to stamp out corruption and waste.

Ian Smith had plans to upgrade Kariba South generators, Hwange PS and to build Batoka Gorge Dam and Hydro Power Station. Whilst it is true it is the Zanu PF government that is to blame for failing to implement these projects timeously. Still, one has to ask why, for 38 years, the people of Zimbabwe have clearly failed to boot out of office this failed Zanu PF regime? Look closely and you will see that it is Chinese who have kept Zanu PF in power.

Of all the foreign nations, China stands head, shoulders and torso above all the other nations in having helped Zanu PF the most to establish and retain the de facto one-party dictatorship that has dominated Zimbabwe with the disastrous consequences we see today. When Mugabe and Mnangagwa talk of China as an “all weather friend” they are acknowledging a huge debt of gratitude.  

The highlight of President Mnangagwa and his high-powered delegation state visit to China was the signing of the mega deals – a glorified wish list discussed with the animated interest of parent humouring a child with the promise to buy him a rocket to fly to the moon. The deals are all froth no beer; soap bubbles more form and no substance; “memorandum of understanding,” as Joice Mujuru call them.

President Mnangagwa is forever grateful for Zimbabwe’s lack of press freedom and meaningful public debate because close any scrutiny would have had soap bubbles mega deals popping long before his return from China. Still, even with all Zanu PF’s well-oiled propaganda machine it is becoming increasingly difficult to the soap bubbles afloat in the soaring temperature the elections.

The Chinese gave away some freebies; 15 million T-shirts, 15 million caps and 2 million wrappers for women, with Zanu PF name and logo and Mnangagwa’s portrait; to be distributed at party rallies. The T-Shirts, etc. are all made in China. The Chinese have flood the country with cheap rough-and-ready goods Zimbabwe used to make, killing off all local production and throwing even more people out of work.

The greatest gift Chana has given Zanu PF is the diplomatic We are stuck in this economic and political hell-hole because we could not remove this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship from office. Look more closely and you will see the towering presence of the Chinese propping up the Zanu PF dictatorship.

As long as the Chinese continue to interfere in Zimbabwe politics support. President Mnangagwa, just like Mugabe before him, is ignoring all calls to hold free, fair and credible elections confident the regime will never be ostracised by the international community as long as the big brother, the Chinese, are there. Mnangagwa has dismissed calls to implement the reforms with the contempt and arrogance of one who knows he is untouchable!   

When all is said and done, one has to admit that it is next to impossible for Zimbabwe hold free, fair and credible elections as long as China is allowed to prop Zanu PF materially, financially, strategically and diplomatically. So, it has come to a simple reality that if we want free and fair elections we must first boot out the Chinese.

So, for the corrupt and incompetent Nelson Chamisa, who failed to get even one democratic reform implemented in five years of the GNU, calling for the Chinese to be booted out of Zimbabwe for interfering in our elections, even if than was not the reason he gave, is the most rational thing he has ever said!