Zimbabwe: Chinese Firms Spread Tentacles in Zim...

[nngu007]

3 FEBRUARY 2013

CHINA has spread its tentacles over most of Zimbabwe's productive sectors in recent years, raising the spectre of re-colonisation

The Far East country is involved in mining, agriculture and construction among other sectors, but critics are sceptical at China's involvement in the Zimbabwean economy.

Like a colossus, Chinese firms have a grip on every aspect of the economy, with Tien Ze having sway in agriculture.

Anjin has spread its wings from mining to construction, while Sino-Zimbabwe Industrial Development Corporation is spearheading investments in different sectors like steel manufacturing and cement production.

Often accused of corruption and neglect of Zimbabwe's labour laws, most Chinese firms continue working as if oblivious to the growing criticism and resentment.

For example despite loud protests, Anjin, a Chinese company went ahead constructing a mall and a hotel on a designated wetland, with environmentalists lamenting that this could have an effect on Harare's future water supplies.

Probably the height of the nationalist and anti-China sentiment was at the beginning of the last decade where stickers and posters were all over the show, decrying the entrance of the Chinese into the Zimbabwean economy.

"Ipovo siyalile, ithi phansi ngama zhing-zhong, Povo yaramba irikuti pasi nemazhing-zhong" (ordinary people are rejecting poor-quality Chinese products), the stickers read.

As if it to illustrate their aversion to Chinese goods, Zimbabweans have coined names for them such as fong kong and zhing zhong, but the Orientals are unfazed and instead are deepening their investments in Zimbabwe.

Despite the resentment, China's Economic and Commercial Counsellor, Han Bing maintains the negative perception of China in Zimbabwe was due to a media onslaught on the country.

'western media perpetuating lies'

China's Economic and Commercial Counsellor Han Bing said, "There is a lot of misinformation. The media is not fact-checking and there are sustained waves of attack on us.

"The idea of recolonisation is particularly being perpetuated by the Western media. They concentrate on the negative side and totally ignore the good that we have done."

Bing pointed out the positives that China had brought to Zimbabwe, arguing that since the country got involved in agriculture, the price of tobacco had kept rising.

The price of tobacco this year was the highest in recent memory, he said.
'The country's economy is being disregarded'

The Economic and Commercial Counsellor (ECC) said between 2008 and 2010 China invested between US$35 million and US$45 million but in 2011 alone the country invested US$460 million, thanks to Anjin.

But the question remains, whether this capital injection is any good for Zimbabwe.

The government was recently involved in a stand-off with a Chinese firm over the construction of a hotel and conference centre in Victoria Falls. The company wanted to bring all materials from China, while the government insisted that construction materials should be sourced from Zimbabwe to create jobs and boost the economy.

Due to the stand-off, the hotel and conference centre were not built, with critics pointing out that this was evidence of China's disregard for the Zimbabwean economy.

A recent book by the Southern African Resource Watch (SARW), Win-Win Partnership? points out that Chinese companies in Zimbabwe violated the country's labour laws with impunity because they are protected by the country's leadership.

An economist, Itai Zimunya is quoted saying: "At the heart of Chinese investment in the country is not Zimbabwe's but Chinese development, with benefits of infrastructure and employment being peripheral benefits".

Last year in a report titled A preliminary mapping of China-Africa knowledge networks, Tatiana Carayannis and Nathaniel Olin argued that there was a dearth of knowledge on China's involvement in Africa and probably this explained the resentment.

"Due in part to a research policy gap and in part to economic and political disparities, Africa has limited capacity to define its China strategy and position itself to take maximum advantage of Chinese growth," they wrote.

"Given the dearth of knowledge in much of Africa and elsewhere about China -- its history, culture, its foreign and domestic policy drivers -- the conversation at best ends there, or at worst, continues with a series of truisms and clichés, either of the drawbacks or the promises of Chinese engagement in Africa."

In conclusion, Bing said Chinese involvement in Zimbabwe was still very nascent, compared to Botswana, South Africa, Zambia or Mozambique.

"China entered Zimbabwe quite late," he said. "We increased our involvement mainly after 2007."

Bing said there was a huge cultural gap between Zimbabwe and China and this was often a cause of conflict. He however, urged Chinese firms to respect local customs and laws.

 

[nngu007]

Wananchi SOMENI yanayotokea ZIMBABWE... ndio same thing hapa kuhusu ISSUE ya GAS... AMKENI AMKENI???

WABUNGE wetu wote Wanavaa VIZURI wanalipwa VIZURI unadhani Wanatujali???? Hawafanyi UCHUNGUZI hawaulizi MASWALI waandishi wetu wooote wanaipenda NDEGE ya RAIS... Hawawezi kuandika kitu cha KUIJENGA NCHI serikali inafanya MAKOSA GANI??? WOOOOTE wanapewa PerDEM wanacheka... MABLOG WOOOTE walikuwa kwenye sherehe za CCM Hakuna hata MMOJA aliyeandika MATATIZO ya KIGOMA

Mliona ZITTO alienda akapata WANANCHI KIBAO KUMSIKILIZA!!!! LINI TUTAAMKA???

 

[Muke Ya Muzungu]

LAND & WATER RESOURCES, MAIN CAUSE FOR FUTURE CONFLICTS
By John Mashaka Source Ethiopia

The African continent is absorbing the global pressure caused by population surge. The enormous land grab, and food piracy trending in the continent, in which Africa's farmlands, and water sources, necessary for food production, are rapidly falling in the hands of – land grabbers is quite worrisome and likely re-ignite another ugly chapter of confrontation in human history. Tanzania being a potential victim, it must do all it can to avert this brewing catastrophe from its boarders

Major global conflicts and wars were fought on the pretext of land; Quest for territorial expansionism and influence, need for natural resources, and food sufficiency. From the agrarian period, to the never ending Israeli-Palestinian conflict, land has been at the center stage. Similarly, the challenging internal and cross boarder future conflicts will be land related. The conflicts will be characterized by deadly internal uprising characterized by hungry rural population looking for water and land for farming, turning against investors-land grabbers- or modern day settles if you will, while urban dwellers dying to have food revolting against their regimes.

Rich nations with population explosion are buying huge tracts of the continents arable farmland, to meet their domestic food needs and security. Many wealthy nations, with no arable land, are exploiting the cracks of greed and corruption within the African regimes, to address the pressing food needs within their countries, leaving Africa in a potentially explosive situation.

World largest commodity producers have sensed the dangers ahead, and since then have been imposing restrictions on their domestic staple food exports in order to maintain economic, and food related security, leaving the global market with huge supply deficit. This new trend is posing a greater threat, particularly for Africa, whose farmland is becoming an alternative for wealthy countries with huge populations to bank on in terms of their future food sustainability and security.

South Korea, China, Japan, India, Britain, UAE, and Saudi Arabia are leading the pack in land grabbing spree. The Saudis have signed a deal for 500,000 hectares of land in Tanzania. South Korea has grabbed 960,000 hectares in Sudan, and 1.3 million hectares in Madagascar. These neo-colonialists are in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Congo, Mozambique, and Zambia just to name a few.

The most troubling reality behind these neo-colonialists, is that, all of the food produced in these farms, are not for host country domestic consumption; they are however, being shipped back to their home countries to feed their populations. According to London's Financial Times, Madagascar's former regime leased their land to the South Korea's DAEWOO company for 99 years, and all the harvests during the period, was to be shipped back to feed South Koreans.

The company paid nothing for the land, and the only promise to the government was the improvement of the country's infrastructure. This is the pattern across the continent in which African leaders have repeatedly inhumanely evicted, razed and burnt their citizens' dwellings at the expense of these neo- colonialists, food pirates, and land grabbing settlers. Madagascar public was not informed of the land deal, and when the news leaked, the regime's life came to an abrupt ending; the country's leadership was toppled by the outraged population.

The following leadership led by Andry Rajoelina, world famous disc Jockey, nullified the contract, declaring Madagascar's land as neither for sale nor for lease to foreigners. African natives many a times have had no significant gains in these deals, apart from providing slave labor. In a series of African leaders selling their countries, president Museveni In early 2000's, violently displaced his own people, and gave the land to a German coffee investor leaving his population in extreme poverty and despair.

Millions of people around the continent have been violently driven out of their ancestral lands at the expense of foreign land grabbers, and food pirates. This leaves us to wonder on what's wrong with us Africans. We can't think the basics. It is next to impossible for a Tanzania national for instance go to Saudi Arabia, South Korea, India or even China and purchase 300 hectares of land. Land is an extremely sensitive issue in the Middle East and Asia and simply untouchable, yet an African is selling his own land to foreigners to grow bio-fuel, yet he has no food. He is a slave in his own state of mind.

Land is rapidly becoming scarce within the Eastern Africa Bloc of nations. With projection of nearly 70million people by 2025, need for farmland, and water sources in Tanzania will be significant. Strain on these resources will be enormous and challenging, especially at the time they will in the hands of foreigners. We have to realize that, there is no sanity, restraint, or tranquility where there is no food. Hungry people have no morals and can never be rational. This is survival law of nature.

We are likely to face internal lawlessness when people will have to deal with live or die situations due to lack of food. This tragedy will only be averted, if our future food security and sustainability planning takes into account the fact that our LAND and water sources remains off limits for UNREASONABLE foreign lease, acquisition or purchase.

In recent years, Brazil moved to tighten her land ownership laws, in which no foreigner is allowed to purchase land. The same approach should be applied in Tanzania. We cannot allow foreign governments to ease their population pressure by taking advantage of our country to re-settle their land less. Tanzania is nobody's colony and is not going to be. We are a growing nation, leasing our land for 99 years to foreigners is a political suicide and betrayal to the people of Tanzania. Nationalists in the parliament of Tanzania must rise and confront this issue head on, be it in the East African Federation or Far Eastern friends, Tanzania's land must be off limits.

Newly nominated members of the East African Legislative Assembly, Honorable Banji, Kizigha, Mwinyi, Taslim, Kesi, Ndelakindo, Kimbisa, Murunya, Nyerere and Yahya, must carry the same mantra to the EAL Assembly. Our land and natural resources, have no expiration date, and MUST remain out of bounds and completely out of the DISCUSSION by foreign entities.

Nyerere's administration regarded our land its resources so sacred, to an extent of leaving them intact for generations to come. Likewise, our present leadership must do the same as the current generation is in position to develop our land and its resources in very few years to come. We must adopt the Brazilians approach to maintain our future economic independence, and food security, averting land grabbing that is likely to ignite deadly survival conflicts of our times Mungu Ibariki Tanzania

John Mashaka
Mashaka.john@yahoo.com

 

[Bavaria]

thanks mkuu

 

[kaangwa]

Nionavyo mimi tanzania tuna hali mbaya zaidi kuliko Zimbambwe,lakini nchi za magharibi haziongelei hilo kwa sababu ndio wanufaika wakuu na hali yetu mbaya.Fikiri Zimbabwe imekuwa na mgogoro na makabaila na wapora ardhi muda wa miaka kadhaa,na kipindi chote hicho hawapokei msaada wala mkopo kutoka nchi hizo za magharibi,hali mbaya waliyonayo sasa kidogo unaweza kuitolea maelezo na wala haihitaji elimu ya chuo kikuu.
Zimbambwe kupokea wachina kwa mikono miwili bila kujari kunufaika au kutonufaiaka pia linaweza kutolewa maelezo
kufuatana na hali waliyonayo,katika nyanja zote,na hii imetokana na Mgahabe kupingana na wanyonyaji wa magharibi wanaotuambia Tanzania uchumi unakua wakati tuna hali mbaya.
HIVI kweli sisi watanzania tuna sababu gani ya kimsingi kuingiza mali feki kutoka china?Tunapata misaada kutoka nchi wahisani na mikopo lukuki lakini mali feki za kichina zimejaa humu nchini na wala hakuna chombo cha habari cha magharibi kinachozungumzia hili, angali mfumo wa ajira kwa wale waliowahi kufanya kazi kiwanda cha nguo cha urafiki Ubungo wananielewa.Iweje Zimbambwe nchi inayoangaika kujitafutia kuinua uchumi bila msaada wa mabepari wa kimagharibu,wao hata mali feki kwao ni mali,Kwetu ambao uchumi wetu unasifiwa unakua ukiruhusu watu waende dampo wakati mali feki za kichina zikiharibiwa kuna watakaoomba wauziwe walau kwa bei ndogo,Je hapa kwetu ni salama kweli?
Kimsingi naungana na mleta hoja kwamba watanzania tuamke,ikiwa na maana ya kupima tunayoambiwa na kuchukua hatua stahiki ili kujinusuru.Anayenufaika na umasikini wako hatakaa akutakie mema ili kesho uwe tajiri, atakutia moyo uendelee kuwa hivyo ulivyo huku yeye akisonga mbele.
Na namna ya kujikomboa ni rahisi ikiwa wewe ni mtanzania wa kawaida JIFUNZE KUTHAMINI KURA YAKO UNAYOMPIGIA MGOMBEA WA NAFASI YOYOTE.
Jiulize swali hili pamoja na mimi,kama kweli viongozi wa serikali inayotawala wanaitakia mema nchi hii,mbona hawana mpango wa kumweka DR.Magufuri kugombea urais wakati tumeshuhudia kila wizara aliyopelekwa kamanda huyu analeta mabadiliko? nchi hii inahitaji mwanamapinduzi,mbona hata hasikiki kwenye tetesi za chama tawala kwa wagombea 2015?
watanzania kweli tunatakiwa kuamka na ni sisi tutabadilisha nchi hii.

 

[Bantugbro]

Nionavyo mimi tanzania tuna hali mbaya zaidi kuliko Zimbambwe,lakini nchi za magharibi haziongelei hilo kwa sababu ndio wanufaika wakuu na hali yetu mbaya.Fikiri Zimbabwe imekuwa na mgogoro na makabaila na wapora ardhi muda wa miaka kadhaa,na kipindi chote hicho hawapokei msaada wala mkopo kutoka nchi hizo za magharibi,hali mbaya waliyonayo sasa kidogo unaweza kuitolea maelezo na wala haihitaji elimu ya chuo kikuu.
Zimbambwe kupokea wachina kwa mikono miwili bila kujari kunufaika au kutonufaiaka pia linaweza kutolewa maelezo
kufuatana na hali waliyonayo,katika nyanja zote,na hii imetokana na Mgahabe kupingana na wanyonyaji wa magharibi wanaotuambia Tanzania uchumi unakua wakati tuna hali mbaya.
HIVI kweli sisi watanzania tuna sababu gani ya kimsingi kuingiza mali feki kutoka china?Tunapata misaada kutoka nchi wahisani na mikopo lukuki lakini mali feki za kichina zimejaa humu nchini na wala hakuna chombo cha habari cha magharibi kinachozungumzia hili, angali mfumo wa ajira kwa wale waliowahi kufanya kazi kiwanda cha nguo cha urafiki Ubungo wananielewa.Iweje Zimbambwe nchi inayoangaika kujitafutia kuinua uchumi bila msaada wa mabepari wa kimagharibu,wao hata mali feki kwao ni mali,Kwetu ambao uchumi wetu unasifiwa unakua ukiruhusu watu waende dampo wakati mali feki za kichina zikiharibiwa kuna watakaoomba wauziwe walau kwa bei ndogo,Je hapa kwetu ni salama kweli?
Kimsingi naungana na mleta hoja kwamba watanzania tuamke,ikiwa na maana ya kupima tunayoambiwa na kuchukua hatua stahiki ili kujinusuru.Anayenufaika na umasikini wako hatakaa akutakie mema ili kesho uwe tajiri, atakutia moyo uendelee kuwa hivyo ulivyo huku yeye akisonga mbele.
Na namna ya kujikomboa ni rahisi ikiwa wewe ni mtanzania wa kawaida JIFUNZE KUTHAMINI KURA YAKO UNAYOMPIGIA MGOMBEA WA NAFASI YOYOTE.
Jiulize swali hili pamoja na mimi,kama kweli viongozi wa serikali inayotawala wanaitakia mema nchi hii,mbona hawana mpango wa kumweka DR.Magufuri kugombea urais wakati tumeshuhudia kila wizara aliyopelekwa kamanda huyu analeta mabadiliko? nchi hii inahitaji mwanamapinduzi,mbona hata hasikiki kwenye tetesi za chama tawala kwa wagombea 2015?
watanzania kweli tunatakiwa kuamka na ni sisi tutabadilisha nchi hii.

Mkuu wala usiumize kichwa,
Mwanzisha mada lengo lake ni ku-bash China kila mara apatapo nafasi. Ameshafungua anti-China threads sio chini ya 10 hapa JF...

 

[John Mashaka]

Just the beginning. Africans must wake up