Mugabe boast of booting Chinese out of Marange, 'I'm bitter!' - subtle warning in naming and shaming

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."

"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!