OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: A letter from the diaspora
By Pauline Henson
There was a report last week of Zanu PF MPs complaining that they had been sidelined by the ‘Old Guard’, the top chefs who benefit from deals in mining, agriculture and indigenisation.
The MPs were not just whinging about not getting a place on the gravy train; they had a much more serious political point to make: that Robert Mugabe, the leader of the party, never engages with the rank and file members.
He only talks to cabinet ministers or politburo and central committee members the MPs complained.
Coming as it does from the party’s own MPs, it gives an intriguing insight into the internal workings of the party and in a separate report from Manicaland came the news that Mugabe’s old comrade and Deputy President, Didymus Mutasa is in trouble with Zanu PF in the area for his ‘dictatorial practices’.
What both reports highlight is a breakdown in communication between leadership and the ordinary members of the party. And that’s a danger signal which should tell those at the top that all is not well in Zanu PF.
Troubles never come singly, for then came a report that the President of the Zimbabwe Economic Empowerment Committee, Temba Mliswa is not happy with the way the Indigenisation policy is being executed. Mliswa says that Saviour Kasukuwere, whose brainchild it is, should make the policy clearer.
At present indigenisation only benefits individuals whereas, Mliswa believes it should benefit specific groups such as students, war veterans and disabled people. But, it was Mliswa’s attack on the Chinese that put him directly at odds with Mugabe’s ‘Look East’ policy.
And Mliswa did not mince his words: “They have literally come here and taken over our tobacco sector through contract farming and other methods. They plant, reap, cure, grade, process and buy the tobacco. How then does the economy grow?
“The Chinese are obliged to comply with the indigenisation policy so that indigenous people can be directly empowered. They have virtually taken over the country’s economy and resources,” Mliswa said.
The same could be said of many other African countries; over the last ten years China has increased its involvement in Africa to the point where they are currently involved in fifty African countries and their presence has provoked heated discussion about their motives for being there.
They have in effect taken the place of the hated colonial regimes that once ruled the African roost but to be fair not all their enterprises are about profit. There are over 1000 Chinese doctors in Africa but their inability to speak the local languages constitutes a big barrier.
Interestingly, the Chinese seem more interested in spreading the Chinese language than in learning the languages of the countries they occupy.
More that 1.600 companies have invested in Africa and there seems little doubt that Africa is more than happy to have Chinese involvement – possibly because the Chinese policy of non-interference means they do not question the regimes’ systems of government or criticise their human rights record.
A dictator like Robert Mugabe need have no fear that the Chinese will condemn him if – or when – he rigs the forthcoming elections.
His ‘Look East’ policy is not the result of democratic consultation with the people but a hangover from the Liberation War when he had the support of the Chinese while the late Joshua Nkomo was supported by the Soviet Union as it was then.
It seems that African rulers today are only too willing to accept foreign investment regardless of the donors’ human rights record.
Yours in the (continuing) struggle Pauline Henson.