By Scott Morgan
The Election Cycle in Zimbabwe concluded more than three weeks ago. In a stunning
result, the opposition MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) amazed most observers by
winning a majority in the Lower House of Parliament.
The Senate, which is the Upper House, is
split evenly as well. Meanwhile the country has yet to hear who will be President of Zimbabwe.
The internal situation in Zimbabwe is in a state of flux.
It appears that the
ruling ZANU-PF has lost the election. That could be the reason why they are holding back the
results in the presidential race. There is also a selected recount in twenty-three districts as
well. This act could be seen as an attempt to doctor the results for a government victory. It is
amazing what steps a political party would take to remain in power no matter the
circumstances.
Currently President Mugabe(photo) is receiving some key "support" from a
longstanding ally. This ally has been a crucial source of support for President Mugabe since the
Liberation War.
At first glance one would assume that I am referring to President Mbeki of South
Africa. However I am referring to the People’s Republic of China. Beijing and North Korea provided
key financial and military support to Mugabe before 1980 and so it’s no surprise that
they would stand by Mugabe today.
There have been two main decisions made by the Chinese
that offer support for their ally but also throw the rest of Southern Africa into turmoil.
First of all, there are persistent reports that Chinese Special Forces are active in
Zimbabwe. This would not be the first time foreign troops have actively patrolled in Zimbabwe
after an election. There were thousands of Angolan troops patrolling the country after the
violence plagued 2005 elections.
Reports indicate that Chinese troops are on the ground in Mutare. This
report has been duly denied by the Chinese embassy in Harare.
The second item is a massive arms shipment that arrived in Durban earlier this
week. This shipment, which included rocket-propelled g, rifles, mortars and over three
million rounds of ammunition was destined for Zimbabwe.
In a suprise move dock workers in
Durban refused to unload the An Yue Jiang(the ship carrying the items) to protest the South African government’s inaction
regarding the Zimbabwe crisis.
Also, a court in Durban ruled that the munitions aboard the ship
could not be transported to Zimbabwe overland. The vessel has since left Durban and is
expected to dock in Mozambique to unload its deadly cargo.
Over the last few years China has sought to have influence in Africa. Sadly it has
backed the wrong governments in some cases. During the Olympic Torch relay protests, one
of the reasons for the protests was the Chinese policy of backing Sudan while the situation in
Darfur continues to deteriorate.
Now Beijing appears to be propping up a leader of a state that
could be on its death throes.
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