Opinion / Columnist
Zimbabwe-Sino ties reach new heights to the chagrin of malcontents
05 Sep 2025 at 07:55hrs | 808 Views
Earlier today, Deputy Chief Secretary for Presidential Communications George Charamba posted an insightful thread on X detailing the pivotal meeting between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
This business-like encounter marked a monumental upgrade in Zimbabwe-China bilateral relations—from a "comprehensive strategic partnership" to an "all-weather community with a shared future," a prestigious status akin to China's ties with Russia.
Rooted in shared political ideologies dating back to Zimbabwe's heroic liberation struggle and triumphant independence in 1980, this elevation underscores decades of unbreakable solidarity and promises transformative economic collaboration with potentially huge benefits for Zimbabwe.
Amid the ongoing storm of disgraceful, misogynistic and even barbaric attacks on Attorney General Virginia Mabiza, Charamba's thread culminates in a post that powerfully underscores her indispensable role in "giving legal effect to the agreements between the two countries, and between Zimbabwean public corporate entities and their Chinese equivalents."
Here's the full excerpt from Charamba:
"Accompanying the President at the crucial bilateral meeting was the Foreign Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, Finance Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube and the Attorney General, Madame Virginia Mabhiza whose role in giving legal effect to agreements between the two countries, and between Zimbabwean public corporate entities and their Chinese equivalents has been salutary.
Zimbabwe has secured agreements in many sectors which include revamping of her rail system and upgrading her defence capabilities. These areas entail very complex, cross-cutting agreements for which extreme due diligence is called for.
The Attorney General is Government's Chief Advisor who also chairs Government's Public Agreements Committee, PAC, itself a clearing house for all legal commitments which Government is intent on signing. No agreement sees light of day until it passes through PAC, or in rare instances where this happens for whatever exigencies, without PAC's condonation. The goal is to make sure Government does not enter into arrangements in which the Nation is prejudiced." - Deputy Chief Secretary George Charamba.
A close reading of Charamba's thread reveals two profound insights.
First, it highlights a stark evolution in Zimbabwe's approach to high-level bilateral and multilateral diplomatic engagements between the First Republic under the late President Robert Mugabe and the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa. The former often centred on geopolitical advocacy—rallying diplomatic support for the land reform programme and resisting unilateral and coercive sanctions from Western powers bent on regime change.
In contrast, the current administration leverages these platforms to forge concrete business deals, revitalizing infrastructure across critical economic sectors. Charamba's vivid account captures this shift eloquently, painting a picture of pragmatic progress over mere ideological rhetoric.
Second, the thread dismantles any notion that the presidential delegation's stopover at the Vatican en route to China was some pageantry or a chance to rub shoulders with global leaders like Putin. Clearly, this was a rigorous working visit, yielding tangible and measurable outcomes that ignite hope for Zimbabwe's development—from rail revamps to defence upgrades and beyond.
In this light, Charamba's praise for Mabiza's "salutary" contributions becomes crystal clear: business agreements only bear fruit when fortified by rigorous legal scrutiny on the spot. Mabiza's hands on expertise ensures Zimbabwe's interests are protected in these intricate, high-stakes pacts. Indubitably, this is in the national interest.
It's worth noting that since her 2023 appointment, Attorney General Mabiza has excelled with a hands-on, collaborative approach to legalizing international agreements. Beyond that, she has spearheaded efforts to resolve the long-standing Gukurahundi issue, working closely with traditional chiefs in Matabeleland under the National Council of Chiefs.
For 45 years—since gukurahundi formally ended in December 1987—victims and communities have lingered as forgotten statistics, even as political leaders reconciled and worked together in government.
Mabiza is the first AG to harness her office for constitutional solutions, amplifying the voices of the afflicted and forgotten gukurahundi victims. This is widely acknowledged and appreciated by the traditional chiefs in Matabeleland provinces who are working with her.
All considered, it's of course fair for citizens to critique President Mnangagwa as head of state and government, voicing concerns publicly.
But weaponising baseless, personal smears against the Attorney General—rooted not in her professional performance but in misogynistic presumptions about her gender or outdated gossip from well before her appointment as Attorney General—is infantile and unacceptable.
Such tactics are not only barbaric but also the hallmark of hired agitators: rebels without a cause who are just crude character assassins, fixated solely on tearing down targeted individuals.
Zimbabwe deserves better than this toxic distraction.
As the country forges ahead with powerhouse allies like China, the national leadership driving this transformation deserves the support of all well-meaning Zimbabweans who have no axe to grind—not sabotage by malcontents who are driven by petty malice as rebels without a cause; who are always targeting individuals to smear them, while fighting for no substantive or national cause whatsoever!
This business-like encounter marked a monumental upgrade in Zimbabwe-China bilateral relations—from a "comprehensive strategic partnership" to an "all-weather community with a shared future," a prestigious status akin to China's ties with Russia.
Rooted in shared political ideologies dating back to Zimbabwe's heroic liberation struggle and triumphant independence in 1980, this elevation underscores decades of unbreakable solidarity and promises transformative economic collaboration with potentially huge benefits for Zimbabwe.
Amid the ongoing storm of disgraceful, misogynistic and even barbaric attacks on Attorney General Virginia Mabiza, Charamba's thread culminates in a post that powerfully underscores her indispensable role in "giving legal effect to the agreements between the two countries, and between Zimbabwean public corporate entities and their Chinese equivalents."
Here's the full excerpt from Charamba:
"Accompanying the President at the crucial bilateral meeting was the Foreign Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, Finance Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube and the Attorney General, Madame Virginia Mabhiza whose role in giving legal effect to agreements between the two countries, and between Zimbabwean public corporate entities and their Chinese equivalents has been salutary.
Zimbabwe has secured agreements in many sectors which include revamping of her rail system and upgrading her defence capabilities. These areas entail very complex, cross-cutting agreements for which extreme due diligence is called for.
The Attorney General is Government's Chief Advisor who also chairs Government's Public Agreements Committee, PAC, itself a clearing house for all legal commitments which Government is intent on signing. No agreement sees light of day until it passes through PAC, or in rare instances where this happens for whatever exigencies, without PAC's condonation. The goal is to make sure Government does not enter into arrangements in which the Nation is prejudiced." - Deputy Chief Secretary George Charamba.
PRESIDENT ED MNANGAGWA MEETS CHINA’S PRESIDENT XI: This morning His Excellency President ED Mnangagwa has met with President Xi Jinping in what is a landmark encounter set to transform bilateral relations to a higher level. The Chinese leader announced the upgrading of relations… pic.twitter.com/YtvDwmUWSQ
— Jamwanda (@Jamwanda2) September 4, 2025
A close reading of Charamba's thread reveals two profound insights.
First, it highlights a stark evolution in Zimbabwe's approach to high-level bilateral and multilateral diplomatic engagements between the First Republic under the late President Robert Mugabe and the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa. The former often centred on geopolitical advocacy—rallying diplomatic support for the land reform programme and resisting unilateral and coercive sanctions from Western powers bent on regime change.
Second, the thread dismantles any notion that the presidential delegation's stopover at the Vatican en route to China was some pageantry or a chance to rub shoulders with global leaders like Putin. Clearly, this was a rigorous working visit, yielding tangible and measurable outcomes that ignite hope for Zimbabwe's development—from rail revamps to defence upgrades and beyond.
In this light, Charamba's praise for Mabiza's "salutary" contributions becomes crystal clear: business agreements only bear fruit when fortified by rigorous legal scrutiny on the spot. Mabiza's hands on expertise ensures Zimbabwe's interests are protected in these intricate, high-stakes pacts. Indubitably, this is in the national interest.
It's worth noting that since her 2023 appointment, Attorney General Mabiza has excelled with a hands-on, collaborative approach to legalizing international agreements. Beyond that, she has spearheaded efforts to resolve the long-standing Gukurahundi issue, working closely with traditional chiefs in Matabeleland under the National Council of Chiefs.
For 45 years—since gukurahundi formally ended in December 1987—victims and communities have lingered as forgotten statistics, even as political leaders reconciled and worked together in government.
Mabiza is the first AG to harness her office for constitutional solutions, amplifying the voices of the afflicted and forgotten gukurahundi victims. This is widely acknowledged and appreciated by the traditional chiefs in Matabeleland provinces who are working with her.
All considered, it's of course fair for citizens to critique President Mnangagwa as head of state and government, voicing concerns publicly.
But weaponising baseless, personal smears against the Attorney General—rooted not in her professional performance but in misogynistic presumptions about her gender or outdated gossip from well before her appointment as Attorney General—is infantile and unacceptable.
Such tactics are not only barbaric but also the hallmark of hired agitators: rebels without a cause who are just crude character assassins, fixated solely on tearing down targeted individuals.
Zimbabwe deserves better than this toxic distraction.
As the country forges ahead with powerhouse allies like China, the national leadership driving this transformation deserves the support of all well-meaning Zimbabweans who have no axe to grind—not sabotage by malcontents who are driven by petty malice as rebels without a cause; who are always targeting individuals to smear them, while fighting for no substantive or national cause whatsoever!
Source - X
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