Opinion / Columnist
ZANU-PF feverish defence of Chinese looting proves Zimbabwe now a colony!
9 hrs ago | Views
A few days ago, renowned economist and former member of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Monetary Policy Committee, Eddie Cross, made some interesting revelations.
He claimed that there are now over 85,000 Chinese nationals residing in Zimbabwe.
However, these individuals are not permanent migrants intending to build a future here; rather, they plan to return to China after exhausting the country's mineral resources.
Cross further alleged that the Chinese are transferring environmentally polluting industries to Africa, capitalizing on the continent's mineral resources while evading environmental constraints at home.
He stated that the exploitation of Zimbabwe's raw materials by the Chinese began with the discovery of diamonds in Marange.
According to him, $30 billion worth of raw diamonds have been produced since 2008, benefiting only the Chinese and a few top military generals, while the people of Marange continue to wallow in abject poverty.
When Cross made these claims a few days ago, I did not initially comment, as what he said was not new.
To directly receive articles from Tendai Ruben Mbofana, please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08
These allegations have been widely known and discussed over the years.
However, what prompted me to write this article was yesterday's feverish and shocking response by the ruling ZANU-PF party.
The hysterical and vitriolic attacks against Cross were startling, raising serious questions about the party's motives.
Why would ZANU-PF feel compelled or obligated to defend the Chinese?
Are the Chinese incapable of defending or speaking for themselves?
Is there not a Chinese ambassador right here in Harare who could have addressed these allegations?
Why, then, did ZANU-PF, through its Director of Information and Publicity Farai Marapira, launch a feverish campaign to not only dispute Cross' claims but also defend the Chinese?
This points to a disturbing reality: ZANU-PF, and by extension the Zimbabwean government, has become fearful of China and has effectively turned the country into a colony of the Asian giant.
Eddie Cross' claims, as alarming as they were, deserve scrutiny.
Was he lying?
Can the Zimbabwean government dispute his figures that $30 billion worth of raw diamonds have been produced in the Marange area since 2008, with no benefits trickling down to the local community?
If ZANU-PF has alternative figures, why did Marapira fail to share them with the nation?
The truth is, the amount of diamonds produced in Zimbabwe since 2008 and the revenue earned have always been shrouded in mystery.
Transparency has been limited, and reporting has been inconsistent, fueling allegations of mismanagement and looting.
Villagers in Marange, home to the diamond fields, have frequently protested against the opaque handling of diamond revenues.
This is particularly egregious considering that Zimbabwe is the seventh-largest diamond producer globally.
In 2016, then-President Robert Mugabe made the startling claim that the country had been prejudiced $15 billion in diamond revenue, particularly by Chinese mining companies operating in Marange.
Mugabe accused these companies of "swindling" and "smuggling" in an interview with the state-run ZBC.
He subsequently ordered Chinese companies like Anjin Investments—who were reportedly partnering with top military generals—to cease operations after their licenses expired.
All diamond mining was then placed under state control through the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC).
This move clearly did not sit well with China or the military generals who had been amassing enormous wealth through these partnerships.
Unsurprisingly, a few months later, Mugabe was ousted in a military coup d'état, immediately after then-Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Constantino Chiwenga returned from a curious visit to China.
Is it any wonder that the new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, installed by Chiwenga after the coup, quickly reversed Mugabe's ban on Chinese mining operations in Marange?
Anjin Investments was soon back in business.
Was this a mere coincidence?
I think not!
Meanwhile, the people of Marange have continued to languish in abject poverty, deprived of basic services like decent medical facilities, schools, or housing.
For instance, the main hospital in Marange is in dire straits, lacking essential medical supplies and equipment.
Pregnant women are forced to give birth under deplorable conditions.
Against this backdrop, can anyone be faulted for concluding that the Mnangagwa regime is a creation of the Chinese and, as such, effectively a puppet of Beijing?
Is this why the regime feels the need to leap to the defence of their masters at the slightest criticism?
It is also telling that, according to the list of Zimbabwean billionaires published by the ZimEye online publication, individuals like Chiwenga and Mnangagwa acquired their fortunes through interests in diamond mining.
Considering what happened to Mugabe after his statements and decisions in 2016, it is understandable that the Mnangagwa regime fears a similar fate if they fail to constantly prove their loyalty to the Chinese.
This subservience has allowed Chinese mining companies to displace communities from their ancestral lands without consent or meaningful compensation.
It has given them free rein to blow up mountains and heritage sites, such as Boterekwa in Shurugwi, with the government looking the other way.
Rivers and other water sources are being polluted by these mining operations, putting communities and their livestock in danger.
Workers at these mines are underpaid and overworked, often without adequate protective gear, while women are subjected to sexual abuse.
Yet, the Mnangagwa government remains conspicuously silent.
If ZANU-PF were truly patriotic and concerned about the welfare of ordinary Zimbabweans, why are they not addressing these issues?
Why are they instead choosing to attack those who expose the exploitation and abuse perpetrated by the Chinese?
The truth is, the Chinese presence in Zimbabwe is not an investment by any stretch of the imagination.
It is a form of colonialism.
As Eddie Cross aptly stated, the Chinese are here to plunder our mineral resources and return to China once everything is exhausted.
Zimbabwe's future generations face the grim prospect of finding no natural resources left and no development to show for it.
Contrary to Marapira's claims, the Chinese have never significantly contributed to Zimbabwe's development.
Take, for instance, the Hwange Power Station units 7 and 8 expansion project and the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport expansion.
These were not acts of benevolence by China but were financed through loans - $1.2 billion for Hwange and $150 million for the airport.
These loans have plunged Zimbabwe deeper into debt, adding to an already staggering $12 billion debt burden.
If Zimbabwe fails to repay these debts, we may suffer the same fate as Sri Lanka, which lost its Hambantota Port to China after failing to repay a loan.
Why is Zimbabwe not able to finance its own development projects?
Is this not because the country is not benefiting from its own mineral resources?
We then have to turn to the same people looting our resources for loans, thereby entrapping Zimbabwe in a cycle of poverty and debt.
Instead of spewing vitriol at Eddie Cross, Marapira should have addressed the issues raised.
The people of Zimbabwe encounter Chinese abuse and exploitation daily, and no amount of propaganda can hide these facts.
"Zimbabwe will never be a colony again" was once a popular ZANU-PF slogan.
Tragically, under their watch, Zimbabwe has indeed become a colony once more—this time under the Chinese.
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
He claimed that there are now over 85,000 Chinese nationals residing in Zimbabwe.
However, these individuals are not permanent migrants intending to build a future here; rather, they plan to return to China after exhausting the country's mineral resources.
Cross further alleged that the Chinese are transferring environmentally polluting industries to Africa, capitalizing on the continent's mineral resources while evading environmental constraints at home.
He stated that the exploitation of Zimbabwe's raw materials by the Chinese began with the discovery of diamonds in Marange.
According to him, $30 billion worth of raw diamonds have been produced since 2008, benefiting only the Chinese and a few top military generals, while the people of Marange continue to wallow in abject poverty.
When Cross made these claims a few days ago, I did not initially comment, as what he said was not new.
To directly receive articles from Tendai Ruben Mbofana, please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08
These allegations have been widely known and discussed over the years.
However, what prompted me to write this article was yesterday's feverish and shocking response by the ruling ZANU-PF party.
The hysterical and vitriolic attacks against Cross were startling, raising serious questions about the party's motives.
Why would ZANU-PF feel compelled or obligated to defend the Chinese?
Are the Chinese incapable of defending or speaking for themselves?
Is there not a Chinese ambassador right here in Harare who could have addressed these allegations?
Why, then, did ZANU-PF, through its Director of Information and Publicity Farai Marapira, launch a feverish campaign to not only dispute Cross' claims but also defend the Chinese?
This points to a disturbing reality: ZANU-PF, and by extension the Zimbabwean government, has become fearful of China and has effectively turned the country into a colony of the Asian giant.
Eddie Cross' claims, as alarming as they were, deserve scrutiny.
Was he lying?
Can the Zimbabwean government dispute his figures that $30 billion worth of raw diamonds have been produced in the Marange area since 2008, with no benefits trickling down to the local community?
If ZANU-PF has alternative figures, why did Marapira fail to share them with the nation?
The truth is, the amount of diamonds produced in Zimbabwe since 2008 and the revenue earned have always been shrouded in mystery.
Transparency has been limited, and reporting has been inconsistent, fueling allegations of mismanagement and looting.
Villagers in Marange, home to the diamond fields, have frequently protested against the opaque handling of diamond revenues.
This is particularly egregious considering that Zimbabwe is the seventh-largest diamond producer globally.
In 2016, then-President Robert Mugabe made the startling claim that the country had been prejudiced $15 billion in diamond revenue, particularly by Chinese mining companies operating in Marange.
Mugabe accused these companies of "swindling" and "smuggling" in an interview with the state-run ZBC.
He subsequently ordered Chinese companies like Anjin Investments—who were reportedly partnering with top military generals—to cease operations after their licenses expired.
All diamond mining was then placed under state control through the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC).
This move clearly did not sit well with China or the military generals who had been amassing enormous wealth through these partnerships.
Unsurprisingly, a few months later, Mugabe was ousted in a military coup d'état, immediately after then-Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Constantino Chiwenga returned from a curious visit to China.
Is it any wonder that the new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, installed by Chiwenga after the coup, quickly reversed Mugabe's ban on Chinese mining operations in Marange?
Anjin Investments was soon back in business.
Was this a mere coincidence?
I think not!
Meanwhile, the people of Marange have continued to languish in abject poverty, deprived of basic services like decent medical facilities, schools, or housing.
For instance, the main hospital in Marange is in dire straits, lacking essential medical supplies and equipment.
Pregnant women are forced to give birth under deplorable conditions.
Against this backdrop, can anyone be faulted for concluding that the Mnangagwa regime is a creation of the Chinese and, as such, effectively a puppet of Beijing?
Is this why the regime feels the need to leap to the defence of their masters at the slightest criticism?
It is also telling that, according to the list of Zimbabwean billionaires published by the ZimEye online publication, individuals like Chiwenga and Mnangagwa acquired their fortunes through interests in diamond mining.
Considering what happened to Mugabe after his statements and decisions in 2016, it is understandable that the Mnangagwa regime fears a similar fate if they fail to constantly prove their loyalty to the Chinese.
This subservience has allowed Chinese mining companies to displace communities from their ancestral lands without consent or meaningful compensation.
It has given them free rein to blow up mountains and heritage sites, such as Boterekwa in Shurugwi, with the government looking the other way.
Rivers and other water sources are being polluted by these mining operations, putting communities and their livestock in danger.
Workers at these mines are underpaid and overworked, often without adequate protective gear, while women are subjected to sexual abuse.
Yet, the Mnangagwa government remains conspicuously silent.
If ZANU-PF were truly patriotic and concerned about the welfare of ordinary Zimbabweans, why are they not addressing these issues?
Why are they instead choosing to attack those who expose the exploitation and abuse perpetrated by the Chinese?
The truth is, the Chinese presence in Zimbabwe is not an investment by any stretch of the imagination.
It is a form of colonialism.
As Eddie Cross aptly stated, the Chinese are here to plunder our mineral resources and return to China once everything is exhausted.
Zimbabwe's future generations face the grim prospect of finding no natural resources left and no development to show for it.
Contrary to Marapira's claims, the Chinese have never significantly contributed to Zimbabwe's development.
Take, for instance, the Hwange Power Station units 7 and 8 expansion project and the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport expansion.
These were not acts of benevolence by China but were financed through loans - $1.2 billion for Hwange and $150 million for the airport.
These loans have plunged Zimbabwe deeper into debt, adding to an already staggering $12 billion debt burden.
If Zimbabwe fails to repay these debts, we may suffer the same fate as Sri Lanka, which lost its Hambantota Port to China after failing to repay a loan.
Why is Zimbabwe not able to finance its own development projects?
Is this not because the country is not benefiting from its own mineral resources?
We then have to turn to the same people looting our resources for loans, thereby entrapping Zimbabwe in a cycle of poverty and debt.
Instead of spewing vitriol at Eddie Cross, Marapira should have addressed the issues raised.
The people of Zimbabwe encounter Chinese abuse and exploitation daily, and no amount of propaganda can hide these facts.
"Zimbabwe will never be a colony again" was once a popular ZANU-PF slogan.
Tragically, under their watch, Zimbabwe has indeed become a colony once more—this time under the Chinese.
© Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. Please feel free to WhatsApp or Call: +263715667700 | +263782283975, or email: mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com, or visit website: https://mbofanatendairuben.news.blog/
Source - Tendai Ruben Mbofana
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