Zimbabwean media: 'China ain't colonizing Zimbabwe'

Zimbabwe's prominent media The Herald on Monday carried a byline commentary denied the accusations of western media that China is a new colonizer of Africa.

Tafara Shumba, a Harare-based social and political commentator said in the article that the west's criticisms obviously come from people whose interests are threatened by the symbiotic relationship existing between Zimbabwe and China.

Zimbabwe looked to the East after the West imposed illegal sanctions that were meant to bleed the economy and subsequently spark revolts. The sanctions are fast losing steam due to all- weather friends like China and Russia which have steadfastly stood by Zimbabwe. The West and their allies obviously cannot be excited by a relationship that impedes the intended objectives of their sanctions, the commentator said.

Shumba said the West and their allies had no reason to rejoice when China and other Asian countries economically resurrected Zimbabwe, as that resurrection threatened their hegemonic interests.

"The Sino-Zimbabwe relationship does not resemble colonialism. China's investment in Zimbabwe is based on win-win joint ventures that have benefited the country. The country is now realizing dividends accrued from the win-win joint ventures," Shumba said.

According to Shumba, this is in contrast to the setup that was obtained when Western mining companies such as the Anglo-American Corporations controlled the sector. The government only received meager taxes and royalties that were remitted. Apart from remitting crumbs to the government, these Western mining companies had no corporate social responsibility policies to benefit the local communities, according to her.

The poor communities were left with nothing to show for their God-given mineral resources save for the vast tracts of degraded land, she said, adding the local people only participated in the mining activities as cheap laborers.

"It is being dishonesty to say that the Chinese investments only benefit the elite. The Community Share Ownership Trusts are benefiting none other than an ordinary villager in Marange. The schools and clinics that were built in Marange are not benefiting the elite. The villagers, who have been living in abject poverty and squalid conditions in Chiadzwa for centuries, are now living in houses that match those in Harare suburbs," the commentator said.

China, through the China International Fund Consortium, recently pledged to fund a high speed train service that will link Harare and Bulawayo. This service is not meant for the elite. The Chinese will also upgrade the Beitbridge-Harare and Harare- Chirundu highways. These infrastructures will not go to Beijing, but will be left behind for generations to come, according to her.

"The Chinese are building shopping malls and hotels whose revenues will find their way into the national purse and subsequently used for social development. The Chinese built the Chinhoyi and Mahusekwa hospitals. I wonder if the Zimbabwean situation has become that bad for central and district hospitals to become the preserve of the elite," Shumba said.

The irony of it is that China is the biggest trading partner of the United States and many other European hypocrites, according to her. Hillary Clinton was recently in China to bolster what she called positive, co-operative and comprehensive relationship for the 21st century.

If China's presence in Zimbabwe is not beneficial to the ordinary person, then whose presence is benefiting the same? The U. S. for instance, has been preoccupied with projects that border on regime change in Zimbabwe, she said. Through the Public Affairs section of its local embassy, the U.S. has been organizing inciteful debates and screening films at the Quill Club and Book Cafe, Shumba said.

"It also came up with programs for journalists like the Women Journalists Mentoring Programme where Zimbabwean women journalists are placed under the tutelage of veteran Western journalists for a year. These programs are meant to subject the journalists to intense political and ideological indoctrination. One graduate of this program confided in this writer that some of their mentors are CIA operatives. I wonder if these projects are tailored to benefit the ordinary men in Buhera, Kuwadzana or Esigodini," the author said.

The commentator concluded that in rare times that the ordinary person is considered, some political strings are attached. For instance, the USAID, AusAID and DFID among others, have been doling out food handouts on political leanings. Such perishable projects cannot be compared with China's long-term and empowering projects. If what China is doing in Zimbabwe is akin to colonialism, then that term must be redefined, according to her.