Chinese soldiers seen in Mutare
One of our activists yesterday evening received an email from a contact in Mutare, who saw and reported this:
There are some chinese army personnel staying at the Holiday Inn here in Mutare and they are moving between their hotel and the local army/police HQ.
What are they doing there? Especially at this time?
A quick search this morning pulled this article up, published on zimbabwejournalists.com, which corroberates the truth of what he saw:
“Residents are going about their normal business despite a call by the opposition to stay at home. Businesses were operating as usual but there was a heavy police presence in the city centre and in all the high density suburbs,” he said.
The police are armed with AK rifles, teargas canisters and baton sticks. Water cannons were being driven throughout the suburbs. There were no incidents of violence as of mid-morning. However, says Baxter, there was a surprise presence of Chinese soldiers armed with revolvers in the city.
The Chinese, together with about 70 Zimbabwean senior army officers are staying at the Holiday Inn, in the city’s central business district.
There are about 10 Chinese soldiers. “We were shocked to see Chinese soldiers in their full military regalia and armed with pistols checking at the hotel,” said one worker.
“When they signed checking-in forms they did not indicate the nature of the business that they are doing and even their addresses.”
Still on the topic of China meddling in our affairs, we also received this information from another source who said that a ship had docked in Durban, South Africa on the 15 April: “container ship An Yue JIANG, Voyage 143, Vessel Agent COSREN”. Our emailer told us that he had been advised that the ship had a small number of containers - three, he was told - “which contained weaponry (small arms/RPG7 projectiles/mortars) destined for the Zimbabwe army”.
Apparently this news has already been reported on Radio 702 in South Africa, who said there were six containers of weaponry. I haven’t been able to find a link to that but in the process of looking did find this. I haven’t set up the required account to view details though. I think this is a picture of the ship, location unknown.
It seems to me that the story about the full extent of China’s involvement in Zimbabwe is one worth following up by proper journalists.
Update @ approx 13.00: Tara left a comment on this post pointing to this article on 24.com. Thanks Tara!:
Zim ‘arms ship’ docks in Durban
2008-4-16 12:04Durban - An uncleared vessel - suspected of carrying arms - docked at the Durban harbour, the National Ports authority said on Wednesday.
Spokesperson Ricky Bhikraj said the Chinese vessel had entered the port without clearance and had currently docked at the outer anchorage.
The ship - called ‘An Yue Jiang’ - is suspected of carrying a consignment of arms allegedly headed for Zimbabwe.
A Port side police source told Sapa the ship was carrying arms and had docked at the harbour on April 14.
He said there were rumours that it was to deliver arms to Zimbabwe.
Bhikraj confirmed that a vessel by that name had entered the Port of Durban.
“We can confirm that there is an uncleared vessel (not cleared to enter port) by that name currently at the outer anchorage. The allegations are being handled by the various national security authorities,” he said.
Noseweek editor Martin Welz earlier told Sapa: “The cargo ship was openly delivering a containment of arms for Zimbabwe.”
[end of update ]
You would think, after the protests we’ve seen with the Olympic torch procession, and the recent crackdown on Tibet, that they would be a lot more circumspect about actively getting into bed with an aging despot, never mind lending support to his repression.
I can’t offer deep insightful political analysis on this, but my layman interpretation is that they must be there to protect their economic interests.
Remember Mugabe’s ‘Look East’ policy?
Zimbabwean’s joke, bitterly, about how Mugabe is allowing the Chinese to colonise our country. They refer to the Chinese products flooding our shops as ‘zhing zhong’. ‘Zhing zhong’ has now become a term used to describe anything that breaks or doesn’t work when you buy it.
Chinese traders are given more advantages by the Zanu PF government to do business in Zimbabwe than locals do. For example, I’ve been told that they can keep more of the foreign currency that they earn. Forex is what spins the wheels of business in Zimbabwe these days, and it means the Chinese do better than locals.
The unfortunate side-effect of the deep resentment is some xenophobia towards the new Chinese people, and our local Chinese population, who have lived in our country for years, suffer too. But at the end of the day I think - I hope - that those new traders are just like all human beings in the world, craving freedom and maybe seeing Zimbabwe, ironically, as a way to escape the lack of freedom in their own country. I think maybe we have something in common with them in that respect.
But if the Chinese government is actually sending in soldiers, and actively lending some level of military support - advice or otherwise - to Mugabe’s efforts to subvert democracy and cow the population, then their involvement must be exposed.
The avaaz petition, to be delivered to Thabo Mbeki today, is still open for signing if you haven’t done so already.
April 16th, 2008 11:26
Is it possible for you to contact international media outlets with this story? The world needs to know about this. With the current controversy in China, perhaps their military involvement will be the push that the international community needs to finally step up and intervene in Zimbabwe..
April 16th, 2008 11:43
My wife,in Mutare, confirms via sms the presence of Chinese soldiers.
There is no indication as to why the soldiers are there, but it’s certainly peculiar if one was to suppose all things considered (Zim crisis, Tibet, Olympics etc) that the Chinese would (should) be wary of anything that damages their current reputation internationally.
April 16th, 2008 12:00
The way to get this into the media is to go to the blog section of the major newspapers where you live (online).
Under comments, ask whether it is true that a Chinese container ship, “An Yue JIANG” docked in Durban, South Africa, on 15 April 2008 to supply the Zimbabwe Army with weapons and that there is already a large presence of Chinese Army advisors on the ground?
Also ask whether other members of the Security Council are prepared to raise this with China?
April 16th, 2008 12:43
I’ve just read that there is another SADC meeting in Mauritius this weekend. Commonealth head “Mr Sharma … would also meet all the leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Mauritius this weekend, where the subject of Zimbabwe will come up.”
We all need to send emails again to SADC offices, especially showing the spreading violence in preparation for a run-off.
list for SADC and others below:
registry@sadc.int; tmothae@sadc.int; mukoni@po.gov.za; differmu@nkwazi.gov.zm; johnmu@nkwazi.gov.zm; president@anc.org.za; thandi@po.gov.za; mukoni@po.gov.za; embzambia@aol.com;tnwinfo@plancom.go.tz; ubalozi@tanzaniaembassy-us.org;
webmaster@malawi.gov.mw; angola@angola.org; webmaster@uem.mz; embamoc@aol.com; sps@palace.org.ls; hpohamba@op.gov.na; snujoma@op.gov.na; nangula@opm.gov.na; lamathila@opm.gov.na; info@namibianembassyusa.org; primeminister@mail.gov.mu; mauritius.embassy@prodigy.net; acpresse@gmail.com; malagasy@embassy.org; webmaster@ict.gov.sc; churchl@tegris.com; seychelles@un.int; hwgreen@msn.com; info@saembassy.org;
sandra@po.gov.za; llekoa@gov.bw; smautle@gov.bw; jtherego@gov.bw; ekuhlmann@gov.bw; mmoleleke@gov.bw; gchebanne@gov.bw; hluke@gov.bw; lsebogiso@gov.bw; cratsiripe@gov.bw; ikhama@gov.bw
Apologies that some are bouncing… haven’t had time to refine it.
April 16th, 2008 12:53
On 24.com News there is a report of a chinese ship outside Durban harbour and it reportedly carries a consignment of arms destined for Zimbabwe!
http://www.24.com/news/?p=tsa&i=891913
April 16th, 2008 12:59
Very good idea Scotch Cart - please can people do this. I really want to know the extent to which China is helping Bob and it must be exposed. BM - thanks for the tip - I didn’t know this.
April 16th, 2008 13:27
If this isn’t justification for massive disruption or boycotting of the Chinese Olympics, I don’t know what is.
I am sending your post URL to the BMEWS blog. It is read by many westerners. They will be able to broadcast far and wide in the USA.
April 16th, 2008 13:28
I don’t want to go off topic, but with the credit crunch and the food riots around the world, it strikes me that Zimbabwe is really missing a beat here.
We have the capacity to make a mint of money out of rising commodity prices. We even know heaps about making fuel out of sugar and maintaining a fleet on blend (Britain went 5% blend yesterday).
Is there an agricultural economist out there who could whip together a business plan for Zimbabwe as a template for debate (not the answers - a starting point). Who would be involved? How could jobs evolve so people are not trapped in unskilled work? What adjustments do we need in the financial system to make a loan system that takes into account droughts? Could this be viable on leasehold? What would be the learning curve for new farmers. Let’s think big people. The world wants grain, sugar and nyama. Unless both China and India stop dead in their tracks, this is not going away. We will also need commodity brokers, shippers, mechanics, scientists, bankers, etc. This is our role in the world. S…. bread basket to Africa. Bread basket to the world!
Agricultural economists, this is your task, while the rest of us protect the goal and try to keep Zimbabwe on the world agenda and keep Zimbabweans safe. Can you do it?
April 16th, 2008 14:26
The South African Police has confirmed that the chinese vessel is carrying arms and the SA customs has confirmed that the shipment is destined for Zimbabwe. This is very disturbing news indeed. http://www.24.com/news/?p=tsa&i=891992
April 16th, 2008 14:48
Thanks again Tara. I’m going to blog this as a post.
Hope
April 16th, 2008 14:55
Scotchcart, opportunities but Zimbabwe also needs to be wise. There seem to be a lot of vultures gathering but of course disguised in pragmatic turkey feathers. Monsanto will be very greedy to get its GMOs into Zimbabwe’s agricultural system. Investment must be carefully handled, even if it takes a little longer.
Anyone interested in one horrific aspect of the current global food crisis take a look at the documentary video at:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19738.htm
April 16th, 2008 15:19
mmmmm - in the good old Rhodesia days arms needed to be smuggled…
Anyway, isn’t there some pressure that can be brought on SA to prevent arms to be transported through it? When I last heard SA was touting itself as “a gun free society”.
April 16th, 2008 16:17
Scotchcart, do you wear a frock coat and stove-pipe hat? Got a set of mutton chop whiskers?
The noise you’re making from rubbing your hands together is deafening me.
That is exactly the sort of comment that will set off the moonbats with accusations of western colonialism.
April 16th, 2008 16:30
‘Zenophobia’ is spelt ‘xenophobia’
April 16th, 2008 16:36
Corrected. Thanks.
April 16th, 2008 17:00
DWMF - good one!
But who says white guys will be in charge?
And BM - that we will be daft? Of course, when business isn’t discussed openly, there is plenty of room for that.
Any news from NY?
April 16th, 2008 17:03
‘Nit Picker’ is spelled ‘Nitpicker’. (’Spelt’ is a type of wheat or traditional English. International usage is commonly ’spelled’).
Nitpick: To be concerned with or find fault with insignificant details
Nitpicker: Someone who makes small and unjustified criticisms Link
Now, where were we exactly? Oh yes, the Chinese are helping a dictator to suppress democracy in Africa. Not quite as interesting as grammar to some perhaps, but shall we continue on topic anyway?
April 16th, 2008 17:41
I think people should start to prepare themselves for an inevitable 4th Chimurenga. The sooner the better. Mugabe is a violent monster by nature but i wouldn’t encourage people to be equally violent. Does anyone has any contacts to people like Bin Laden? Remember that we have some fallen heroes who were eliminated mysteriously by Mugabe so we should try confront him from outside Zim… AFTER ALL HE IS HUMAN..
April 16th, 2008 17:43
SOME OF US HERE LEFT THEIR JOB’S AS O’LEVEL ENGLISH TEACHERS TO COME TO THE BLOG TO CORRECT GRAMMAR AND SPELLINGS.. Mugabe is so evil. People now can’t use their professions in the appropriate
jobs…..
April 16th, 2008 17:59
Now what is SA doing by allowing arms to pass through our country to Zim that has had enough of arms from the past wars ? Well it seems like Morgan will have to also get arms and call up all races from the past that have left, that were trained, to come and then we will see freedom, but who in his right mind want to relive that ? I think the media should look into the “Looking East” scenario and expose this as we need to know all of that.
April 17th, 2008 00:14
Not that this would help Zimbabwe the least bit at the moment, but upon reading this (and the thing about the weapons…) I do wish more than ever that everyone - and I mean everyone, foreign dignitaries and all the athletes - would simply stay home and skip the Olympics.
As for Zimbabwe, I am still trying to be hopeful that some people in power from whichever country will finally do the only right and decent thing and step in and help Zimbabwe to remove their unelected dictator.
Before any more people get hurt, maimed or killed preferably…
*wishing you strength*
Melantrys
April 17th, 2008 09:47
It is being reported in local S.A.newspapers about the Chinese troopsin Zim. At least the word is going out.Very scary time for them to be there,reminds me of the old days when other orientals were going around Bulawayo area.
Good luck to all the many great Zimbabweans who are stuck there.
April 17th, 2008 11:09
Disgusted, misguided poor bob failing to buy food and resort to buying poison (arms). What do we eat, AK47. Oh God take care of the masses.
Time will tell.
Poorest ex police officer who saved for 16 yrs
April 17th, 2008 11:34
I have read reports about the chinesse vessel apparently the cargo was cleared and it is unclear wether it will proceed by rail or road. A report in allAfrica.com states that
“The consignment has cost the regime millions of United States dollars and came through Durban harbour a Chinese registered vessel, An Yue Juang.
It includes 3 million rounds of ammunition for AK47 rifles, the standard assault weapon for the country’s defence forces. There were also 1,500 rocket propelled grenades, a support weapon for the infantry, plus 3,500 mortar bombs.
Martin Welz, editor of Noseweek a Durban based investigative magazine, told Newsreel on Wednesday they were in possession of the shipping documentation of six containers addressed to the Ministry of Defence in Harare. The arms were bought from a Chinese arms company called Poly Technologies, based in Beijing.
‘The ship did in fact dock in Durban between the 10th and 13th April and the six containers weigh between 8 to 15 tonnes, Welz said.”
Reading previous entries reveals to me that age old Zim way of thinking, worry about the people currently in zim and hope for the best.
Come on people, if we do not stand up for ourselves no one else will. Each one of those rounds of ammunition has your ex-neighbour, relative, friend or family member’s name on it. For those still in zim it may even have your name on it. How long shall we watch and be mesmerised by the crazy development of events. People have already been murdered, must it get to full scale genocide?
April 17th, 2008 13:37
You are too right Refugesta; only we can bring change. When will people stop tolerating beatings and intimidation? Evils of government vs tolerance of the people and all that..
April 17th, 2008 15:00
What can one do from from far away? How can we help?
Mugabe will never be defeated no matter what. He has duped his people time and time again with these silly meaningless elections.
Would anyone except defeat, if you have been looting your own country. He knows very well that he and his croonies would be dead meat if a democratic government came into power.
I wonder how much they have stolen from their country, and stashed away in Swiss bank accounts? Shades of Saddam, Marcos Suharto etc.
Isn’t there somebody who could freeze those accounts, and make them suffer and flee.
There must be some cunning and clever way to defeat this regime. Let’s use brainpower.
April 19th, 2008 17:43
Can a journalist get the Chinesse Government to explain their military presence in Zimbabwe. I know given China’s own human rights record, their recent record in Tibet and the Darfour this might not be very surprising but still someone needs to put the Chinesse authorities and their current world economic powerhouse ambitions on the defensive.
April 22nd, 2008 06:30
[...] not be transported overland. April 18 Tsvangirai accused of treason as China arms Zimbabwe April 17 Chinese soldiers seen in Mutare (This is Zimbabwe) “One of our activists yesterday evening received an email from a contact [...]
April 22nd, 2008 06:55
What Bob and the chinese are doing is not acceptible….i’m Tanzanian and i know my president is the chairman of AU now and also my country is the member of SADC.What i’m going to do now is to send an email to my president as chair of AU and head of the country to act now.And i’m also asking my Zimbabweans brothers and sisters to stay strong;i know you will get your country back!
April 22nd, 2008 08:19
[...] But if the Chinese government is actually sending in soldiers, and actively lending some level of military support - advice or otherwise - to Mugabe’s efforts to subvert democracy and cow the population, then their involvement must be exposed. [Sokanwele] [...]
April 24th, 2008 07:03
[...] the presence of Chinese soldiers “in their full military regalia and armed with pistols” in Mutare has [...]
April 25th, 2008 23:13
The Chinese will help keep Bob in power and help him in destabilising the country so that he can live on their handouts. They in turn have free range to the mineral wealth and they can go about it without enviromental issues.The excuse that they are rebuilding the infrastructure is true, yes, only to get their booty out and back to china. Never mind the Swart Gevaar watch out for the Rooi Gevaar! Wake up the West before its to late. Here is going to be another Rwanda soon.