Whilst
one can understand Mugabe’s “bitterness” at being made to look the fool
parading a fat cheque not even worth the paper it was written on. Still one has
to question why he found it necessary to name and shame the Chinese,
particularly doing so now considering the whole episode happened years ago!
"They
(the five diamond mining companies who had pledged $10 million each at the
behest of then Indigenisation minister Saviour Kasukuwere) had me walk here
holding a big board inscribed with a (US$1.5 million) cheque that they later
refused to honour. You still have that grievance,” Mugabe told the Zanu PF
rally in Mutare..
"I'm also bitter that a grown man like me, I'm made to parade a board (cheque) which doesn't mean anything."
"I'm also bitter that a grown man like me, I'm made to parade a board (cheque) which doesn't mean anything."
"We took over everything from the Ghanaians, Lebanese, Chinese and South Africans who were running companies in Chiadzwa so that we do our own mining. But this has taken a rather long time," Mugabe said.
The
close relationship between China and Mugabe goes back to pre-independence and
Mugabe has often called the Chinese his “all-weather friend”. The friendship
assumed even greater significance in the late 1990s when the Zimbabwe economy
took a turn for the worse. First the WB, IMF and other Western Financial
institutions refused to give Zimbabwe any more financial assistance because the
country was failing to service its debts. But like all cheeky bad-debtors Mugabe
turned the tables and blamed the WB, IMF, etc. for having forced Zimbabwe to
adopt failed economic policies in the first place.
Zimbabwe’s
economic nose dive resulted in the nose dive of Mugabe’s own political fortunes
to stay in power Mugabe resorted to more and more political repression and
lawlessness. He seized white owned farms to give to his ever demanding but
wasteful party loyalists. This plunged the national economy into even greater
trouble, forcing him to even greater repressive measure to retain power. It was
the Chinese who shielded Mugabe from the international community’s criticism
and censor of his increasing tyrannical regime.
By 2002,
the time the Western countries imposed the targeted sanction again Mugabe and a
hundred or so in his inner circle for human rights violations and failing to
hold free and fair elections, Mugabe was ready to cut all ties with the West.
He announced his “Look East” policy with the usual pomp and ceremony to
underline his close friendship with the East, especially with China.
Make
no mistake about, the Chinese are as shrewd and exploitative as any other colonialist
to step on African soil. Chinese saw to it that they were repaid for all the
military assistance they gave to Mugabe and his Zanla army in the fight for
independence. The exploitative relationship became even more so after Mugabe’s
spectacular 2002 fall out with the West. The Chinese supplied Mugabe with the
repressive tear-gas, weapons and even help in the regime’s many vote rigging dirty
schemes. In return the Chinese had unfettered access to the country’s very lucrative
deals and resources.
Zimbabwe’s
diamond mining in Marange and Chiadzwa has been one of the most profitable
activities for those who did not mind the mud and stench – the mud and stench
of corruption. The Chinese were the first in the queue to start mining in
Marange, they did not mind the mud and stench of corruption. Indeed, one might
even say the thrived in the mud and stench!
Rest
assured the Chinese were not amused to be booted out of Marange much say to
continue to be named and shamed from the public platform! There is a reason in
Mugabe’s madness!
It is
no secret that the Chinese have been pushing for Mnangagwa to be the tyrant’s
successor. Mugabe has been fighting to have his wife take-over and, as we all
know, he fights dirty; real dirty. With him, there is no such thing as not
hitting below the belt because that is his only target and with the first blow!
The
Chinese have done a lot of dirty stuff for Mugabe over the years and naming and
shaming them over the plundering in Marange is the shot over the Chinese’s
heads warning them to back-off Zanu PF’s succession issue. If they do not
back-off, Mugabe will release details of some of the real dirty work China has
done for him, enough to damage the China’s reputation for many generations to
come.
No
doubt, the Chinese thought they had Mugabe in their pocket. They did, but what
they failed to realise was that the cunning tyranny’s hand wormed its way into
their groan. The Chinese thought Mugabe was their tyrant they would have a say
on who replaces him. Now Mugabe is telling them to back-off because he has a fistful
of Chinese balls!
The trouble with Zanu PF apologists like Nick Mangwana is that they are pretentious idiots full of hot air and argue in endless circles.
ReplyDelete“Zanu-PF has continued to face an opposition with no discernible policy,” writes Nick.
This is just nonsense for two good reasons:
1) If the assertion is to suggest that Zanu PF has been the one that has come up with discernible policies then why is the country in such a total mess. Zimbabwe is now the poorest nation in Africa, some endorsement of Zanu PF’s discernible policies!
2) If Zanu PF was so confident of is superiority as the only suitable party to govern then why has the party refused to implement the democratic reforms to ensure free, fair and credible elections.
“You can’t expect us to reform ourselves out of power,” said Professor Jonathan Moyo when he was quizzed on why Zanu PF is refusing to implement reforms so the country can have its first free, fair and credible elections.
3) No doubt Zanu PF will be coming out with a new manifesto or relaunch ZimAsset with all the usual funny fare pomp and ceremony for no other reason than to while away time till the vote is rigged and we are then told it is proof the people of Zimbabwe loved the manifesto. None of the 2013 ZimAsset promises were ever fulfilled. Where are the 2.2 million new jobs, instead the country has continued to lose even more jobs sending unemployment into the 90% plus.
4) What is the point of talking about this or that party’s policies if elections are not free, fair and credible because those who rig the vote do so for no other reason than to stop regime-change.
Nick Mangwana is just one Zanu PF apologists who continue to talk rubbish just as Mukanya, Thomas Mapfumo, once said. As long as Zanu PF is allowed to rig the vote and remain in office we will have to endure the likes of Nick, the tyrannical regime comes with its apologists just as the honey badger comes with its stench.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the governing party in China, has ruthlessly denied the ordinary Chinese their freedoms and human rights, it is not surprising that it has willingly help tyrants like Mugabe to do the same in their respective country.
ReplyDeleteWhatever democratic gains Africa had made they have been largely lost in the last 20 years with the increasing influence of China in the continent. Whilst the CCP has got on well with Africa’s corrupt and oppressive ruling elite the masses in Africa have never trusted the Chinese. What China has yet to learn is that reputations are like a clay pot, it takes time and effort to build but will be broken into piece in a flash. Once broken they are hard to repair and, even if they are repaired, they will never be the same again.
It is gratifying that China should find itself at the receiving end of President Mugabe’s insults after years of seeing him abusing the West. Whilst President Mugabe’s ranting against the West was just empty rhetoric none of the mud could ever stick it is a different matter with the mud the tyrant is throwing at the Chinese – it is all factual and will stick like iron filings to a magnet!
CCP should have never interfered in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs much less played its dirty tricks! The Chinese are ruthless but they may find in President Mugabe an equally ruthless operator!