Sun, July 22, 2012
HARARE, July 22 (Xinhua) -- China has been commended on making things happen in Zimbabwe by assisting the country to transform economy, an analytical article carried by The Sunday Mail said.
Though roiled by the global financial crisis, China has managed to open its 3 trillion U.S, dollar vault for the mutual benefit of itself and its partners around the world, including the African continent.
The recent reports showed the the Chinese will be working on the 1.2-billion-dollar Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project, which is envisaged to draw water from mighty Zambezi River to the Gwayi- Shangani Dam, and then to a reservoir in Bulawayo's Cowdray Park.
It is difficult to fathom the positive spin-offs that will obviously accrue from such a mega-project. From an economic perspective, the project is tantamount to putting up an economic vein stretching from the Zambezi River to Bulawayo, the country's erstwhile industrial hub.
The possibilities are limitless and it is a no-brainer to state this will tremendously transform the economy. The Chinese have ably demonstrated the power and might to turn such a dream into reality, the article said.
Huawei Technologies, one of the world's biggest technology firms, will also reportedly be supplying 200 million dollars worth of equipment to NetOne in a development widely expected to up the ante in the local telecommunications industry.
While inevitably revolutionizing the ability of the State-owned enterprise, this initiative will most likely spur a rat race in an industry that is currently being dominated by Econet Wireless.
Obviously, all the companies that have been helped from the precipice by the Chinese cannot be mentioned. Some of them are Zimasco and, most recently, Bindura Nickel Mine, which has received a new lease of life.
In addition, a lot of infrastructure projects are presently being undertaken by the Chinese, in the process slashing our infrastructure development deficit.
"Zimbabwe is undoubtedly changing with the changing circumstances in China," the article said.
The article also urged the Zimbabwean policymakers and those who are in positions of authority not to pooh-pooh the fifth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (Focac) that was held on Thursday and Friday in Beijing.
"Such fora are likely to shape and make our economies going forward," the article said.
Last year alone, China-Africa trade reached a record high of 166.3 billion dollars.
Zimbabwe can easily leverage on some of the principles of political equality, mutual trust, economic win-win and mutual learning that have become the essence of China's dealings with Africa, Zimbabwe included.
The capital of the world has since shifted from the West to the East and the challenge for Africa and countries such as Zimbabwe, which are currently economic fledglings, is to shift the capital of the world from the East to the South.
