Chinese Deals To Secure A Dictatorship?
7 April 2018
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Wilbert Mukori | Let us remember where we were, and how we suffered as an isolated nation. In this new era Zimbabwe is open to the world, and governments, businesses and individuals all are looking to do business with us,” wrote President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

“We had many fruitful discussions with political and business leaders in China, including President Xi Jinping, and secured a host of deals which will make a real difference to the lives of Zimbabweans.”

Five points:

1) What “isolation” are you talking about, Sir? Zimbabwe broke relations with the West but not with the East as your predecessor President Mugabe made very clear in his “Look East” policies. Zimbabwe has failed to get any financial assistance and foreign direct investment from the East because of the country’s failure to repay debts and reputation as a corrupt and lawless nation.

Many Zimbabweans are finding your denial of Zanu PF’s decades of misrule as the root cause of the country’s economic meltdown, blaming instead everything on these mythical sanctions, an insult to our intelligence.

2) We all know that there have been no takers to your “Zimbabwe is open for business!” clarion call from anyone in the West because they have been disappointed to see that you have no intention of holding free, fair and credible elections. Investors do not do business in countries ruled by thugs, by failing to hold free and fair elections you are per se confirm Zimbabwe is still a de facto one-party state.

3) China has remained Zimbabwe’s “all-weather friend” dating back to the days of the liberation war, as you readily acknowledged the other day. China has benefited greatly from the relationship as it has been able to flood Zimbabwe with cheap Chinese products and thus forced many of our own local producers out of business and has had a lion’s share of the wholesale looting that has been going on in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe has suffered the economic meltdown which has seen unemployment soar to 90%, ¾ of our people now live on US$1.00 or less a day, etc.

Zimbabwe is now the poorest nation in Africa. China is the second richest nation on earth! So all-weather friend!

4) Among the mega deals you signed with President Xi Jinping are deals to help Zanu PF rig the elections. It is no secret that China has always help prop up the Zanu PF dictatorship and provided all the material and moral support to rig elections. It is no secret that China is doing this again now for the same selfish reason of making sure Zimbabwe remains in China’s sphere of influence.

5) Zimbabwe’s economic recovery is only assured by the country ending the criminal waste of resources born of the gross mismanagement and rampant corruptions and the return of law and order. The only sure way to achieve this is for the country to implement the democratic reforms and hold free, fair and credible elections.

By refusing to implement the democratic reforms designed to stop vote rigging you have per se condemned this nation to more years of Chinese exploitation and poverty. The next regime change in Zimbabwe will have to be another military coup or street protests, both will be bloody. This is something this nation is not going to tolerate.

With no reforms, these elections are not going to be free, fair and credible. We strongly object to the continued interference of the Chinese in Zimbabwe’s elections. These flawed elections must and will be declared null and void!

“I will therefore continue to work tirelessly for the people of Zimbabwe both at home and abroad, as we embark on this new and exciting journey together,” concluded President Mnangagwa.

By refusing to implement the democratic reforms designed to restore the individual freedoms and human rights of all Zimbabweans including the right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country you are proving the Zanu PF dictatorship is alive and well.

The only thing “new” from Mugabe’s days is that the head of the dictatorship was replace by a new one. It is “an exciting journey” for the new dictator and his cronies but not the ordinary people who continue to suffer under the yoke of the corrupt, vote rigging and tyrannical dictatorship!