A RECENT donation of Chinese military hardware to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has raised eyebrows as the Asian superpower pushes to further its interests in Zimbabwe.
Mnangagwa received the military hardware on Wednesday last
week, with observers arguing that the donation could open floodgates for
further Chinese military expansion in southern Africa, where the West also
seems to have strong interests.
The equipment included armoured fighting vehicles,
personnel carriers, ambulances, motorised water purifiers, patrol boats,
minibuses, sniper rifles, machine guns and hand pistols.
The donation was presented to Mnangagwa at Inkomo
Mechanised Brigade by the Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding, who spoke
highly of the two countries’ historical ties.
However, political and social commentators were divided
over the donation, with human rights defender and Centre for Natural Resources
Governance director Farai Maguwu saying the deal was meant to further the
Chinese interest in the mining sector.
Maguwu told NewsDay that China’s donation was driven by
interest especially in Zimbabwe’s mineral resources.
“There is no free lunch, nations are driven by interests
not love. The most important thing is to find out what the motive behind the
donation is. So, when you look at the destructive role of China in Zimbabwe’s
mineral sector, it’s not meaningful,” he said.
“The Chinese involved in the mineral sector have not been
able to build even a school or clinic in communities they have been working
in.”
Maguwu added: “We have not been at war with any country
since independence. The real enemy we want to fight today is poverty,
climate-induced disasters, droughts, fight against decline in health and
education standards, that is what we need.”
Political analyst Tendai Reuben Mbofana said the deal was
dishonest and disturbing.
“The deal was an anti-people one. We are looking at a
country that is globally known for its poverty, nearly half of the population
is living in extreme poverty, we do not have hospitals equipped to serve the
people and basic essentials,” he said.
“We do have cancer machines. We do not have ambulances and
we have children who are learning under trees because they do not have
schools.”
He said the military equipment would not help ordinary
Zimbabweans or improve their lives.
“What do we need guns for when our children are languishing
in extreme poverty? Who are we fighting? This equipment can be used to kill
civilians,” he said.
However, professor of world politics at the University of
London Stephen Chan said the donation was of little significance.
“For the most part, the Chinese donation is light tactical
skirmishing equipment for border wars — not all of it useful, such as the
patrol boats,” he said.
“Zimbabwe’s only real water border is Lake Kariba, and its
neighbour on the other side, Zambia, poses no military threat. This is a
goodwill gesture from China, probably excess equipment it no longer needs
itself.
“Having said that, the motorised water purifiers might have
a beneficial non-military use in helping to alleviate the cholera epidemic
caused by impure water. For the most part this donation has no global
geo-political context.” Newsday
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