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(TALKZIMBABWE) Chinese loan to Zimbabwe, a lesson in statecraft

Chinese loan to Zimbabwe, a lesson in statecraft
Philip Murombedzi
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:14:00 +0000

PRIME MINISTER Tsvangirai on Tuesday faced a tough challenge of announcing a loan package that was availed by a traditional Zanu PF ally, China. As the prime minister, he had to make the announcement that more money had been raised in his absence without the need for globetrotting.

We all know that it was not solely the Minister of Finance who had negotiated that deal as the Prime Minister's statement made us believe.

"While I was away, government through Finance Minister Tendai Biti also secured lines of credit from China totalling 950 million dollars (672 million euros)," said the Prime Minister.

That was all he said and then went on to announce that he had raised US$500 million during his EU and US state visit.

He said his office would provide a breakdown of that pledge "in due course". Why "in due course" when he already had the total figure? How did they compute that figure in the first place?

The statement was meant to counter the announcement of a hefty Chinese loan.

At the end of the EU, US tour the PM's spokesman, James Maridadi, had released a statement saying the figure raised by the PM was approximately US$200 million. How it jumped to US$500 million is anyone's guess.

Interestingly, PM Tsvangirai added that: "They (the West) also pledged more support which will be guided by the way in which we meet our own political commitments as outline in the Global Political Agreement."

This is not exactly true. German Chancellor Angela Merkel summed it up very well during the PM's visit to that country.

According to Germany, and the rest of the EU, that promised support was predicated on the return of "expropriated land", that is return of black-owned farms to former white farmers -- something the GPA is clear on.

The land redistribution exercise is "irreversible", says the GPA.

These are the "political commitments as outlined in the Global Political Agreement" that the PM is talking about.

The issues of central bank governor Dr Gideon Gono and attorney general Johannes Tomana are not in the GPA.

They are matters of opinion and goodwill, with no legal effect.

"Restoration of human rights" and "respect for property rights" are processes, not events and are abstract and not easily measurable.

The PM should know this, having been involved in politics for a long time. In any case these issues need fundamental political value changes and do not happen overnight.

When he visited Western capitals, the prime minister was looking for an immediate rescue package and not seeking to reassure anyone that Zimbabwe was on a "recovery path".

Zimbabwe's needs are immediate.

The interesting twist in the PM's statement that 'government through Finance Minister Tendai Biti' secured the deal, is that we all know that the MDC-T party's Secretary General Biti does not have sufficient political clout to convince the Chinese to offer such a credit line without the Zanu PF party's involvement.

There is also the added coincidence that the announcement was made a few days after Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa and a Zanu PF team was dispatched by President Mugabe to the East, to China.

The Chinese were unequivocal in their support for the Zanu PF party, as much as the West was supportive of "Mr Tsvangirai's government".

The moral of this story is that the MDC-T party has to now transform its thinking and view itself as part of government, not as an independent unit in that government.

The West also has to accept that reality.

The PM's trip should have served to highlight that issue, rather than exchange unhelpful diplomatic niceties like President Obama's gesture of giving PM Tsvangirai a personalised autographed copy of 'Stride Toward Freedom' by Dr. Martin Luther King.

Not only was this gesture politics very patronising, but had the effect of whitewashing the whole mission of the PM's visit and the whole state entourage.

Protocol has to be followed. Zanu PF could have made a big issue about the Chinese loan, but it never did, allowing the PM and the finance minister to make the announcement. The announcement was the mandate of the PM and the relevant ministry and they are all in one government with Zanu PF.

The credit line was availed to the inclusive Government of Zimbabwe, not to NGOs like the West did, so it was proper that PM Tsvangirai make the announcement.

If the MDC-T party then boycotts crucial Cabinet meetings and continues playing yo-yo within this inclusive Government, it will only prove its political immaturity and lack of understanding of statecraft and how governments work -- as systems whose parts are all inter-related and working in harmony to achieve agreed objectives.

_____________________
Philip Murombedzi
philipmurombedzi@yahoo.com

Labels: CHINA, LOANS

posted by MrK @ 4:11 PM