Opinion / Columnist
Africa And The Look East Facade
12 Jan 2019 at 11:00hrs | Views
When former Zimbabwe despot Robert Mugabe was shunned and ostracized by the West he turned to the East. China in particular promised him funding which would be a slap in the faces of former erstwhile friends. The Chinese in particular will offer funding albeit with mortgaging of our natural resources by our leaders .
It would seem the fall of Mugabe would bring a shift towards the West by the so called New dispensation. Mnangagwa promised to re-engage with Western countries for years denounced by Mugabe each time he got an opportunity to address fellow despots .
Re-engaging with the West is easier said than done ,the junta front man must have seen by now. The West, unlike China, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and fellow human rights violators ,gives aid after scrutiny of the recipient country. This scrutiny extends to rule of law,judiciary independence,human rights and so on .
This scrutiny is what Zanu PF would not want considering that their history on human rights violations, judiciary interference,no respect on property law and so on. The East friends are at the apex of human rights violations were journalists are silenced by disappearances or unlawful detentions, activists are at the mercy of their security agencies. When they give aid or what ever form of assistance there is no scrutiny, this entices Mnangagwa, a preacher of reform by day but architect of human rights violations at night .
This is why the East will be forever the favourable destination by despots from Africa.While Breton Woods lnstitutions will give money despotic regimes will not entertain what is expected of them. These institutions first and foremost need accountability on funds while Asian fellow despots do not care whether a large chunk of their aid money has been siffoned off to safe havens for their stash keeping.
That Mnangagwa who promised to do the opposite of his predecessor is now following Mugabe's footsteps just shows he has joined the African despots club .The Asian countries in particular China have seen Zimbabwe and other African states with shops opened in every town selling fake counterfeit merchandise from tooth pick to furniture as they loot overtly natural resources.
For Zimbabwe to be revived from a dysfunctional economy it does not need any assistance from the East. The Chinese ,whose Mandarin language is now being taught in some schools further showing their growing influence ,do not care about African states .
Munangagwa is wasting scarce foreign currency as he travels with his entourage from one despotic country to another. It boggles the mind what he intends to gain from these regions which do no not respect human rights in their own countries.
This clearly shows that Zanu Pf is not sincere when they tell people Mugabe destroyed the economy when the incumbent President is now just a disciple of Mugabe's failed policies .
The junta front man needs the West not phony investors from the East who have flooded our ghettos .
It would seem the fall of Mugabe would bring a shift towards the West by the so called New dispensation. Mnangagwa promised to re-engage with Western countries for years denounced by Mugabe each time he got an opportunity to address fellow despots .
Re-engaging with the West is easier said than done ,the junta front man must have seen by now. The West, unlike China, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and fellow human rights violators ,gives aid after scrutiny of the recipient country. This scrutiny extends to rule of law,judiciary independence,human rights and so on .
This scrutiny is what Zanu PF would not want considering that their history on human rights violations, judiciary interference,no respect on property law and so on. The East friends are at the apex of human rights violations were journalists are silenced by disappearances or unlawful detentions, activists are at the mercy of their security agencies. When they give aid or what ever form of assistance there is no scrutiny, this entices Mnangagwa, a preacher of reform by day but architect of human rights violations at night .
This is why the East will be forever the favourable destination by despots from Africa.While Breton Woods lnstitutions will give money despotic regimes will not entertain what is expected of them. These institutions first and foremost need accountability on funds while Asian fellow despots do not care whether a large chunk of their aid money has been siffoned off to safe havens for their stash keeping.
For Zimbabwe to be revived from a dysfunctional economy it does not need any assistance from the East. The Chinese ,whose Mandarin language is now being taught in some schools further showing their growing influence ,do not care about African states .
Munangagwa is wasting scarce foreign currency as he travels with his entourage from one despotic country to another. It boggles the mind what he intends to gain from these regions which do no not respect human rights in their own countries.
This clearly shows that Zanu Pf is not sincere when they tell people Mugabe destroyed the economy when the incumbent President is now just a disciple of Mugabe's failed policies .
The junta front man needs the West not phony investors from the East who have flooded our ghettos .
Source - AT Kadada
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