ZANU PF propped up by controversial Chinese businessmen

According to South Africas Sunday Times newspaper, elusive business magnate Sam Pa and CIO chief Happyton Bonyongwe have struck a deal, which sees Pa financing a covert operation whose purpose is to sustain President Robert Mugabe’s regime. The newspaper quotes disillusioned intelligence officers and party officials, who are said to be unhappy about how Zimbabwes natural resources are being traded for personal and electoral gain.

These sources allege that in return for Zimbabwes diamonds and other mineral resources, Pa has provided funds and equipment to the CIO to enable it to deliver ZANU PF an electoral victory. The money is reportedly being used to train and deploy militias who are harassing and intimidating Zimbabweans across the country. It is also understood that Pa has provided the technology to rig election outcomes in ZANU PFs favour, a tool the party has repeatedly used to win previous elections.

The Sunday Times reports that Pa is also responsible for personally providing the CIO with fleets of cars and, in early 2010, he offered to match the salaries of the entire staff of the CIO, the police and the armed forces to ensure their loyalty to ZANU PF.

Bonyongwe meanwhile stands accused of keeping this relationship well oiled, after negotiating Pas involvement in the Chiadzwa diamond fields. Pa is said to be behind the creation of the joint-venture Sino Zim Development, which was recently granted a licence to mine at Chiadzwa. The sources told the Sunday Times that using different aliases, Pa had flown out of Harare and military airbases last year with about 60 000 carats of high quality diamonds and 69kg of the industrial kind. Quoting renegade CIO sources, the Sunday Times said that Pa himself is part of the grand plan to use (Chiadzwa) diamonds to prop up the regime.

The business magnate, described as elusive and canny, is reported to have made similar arrangements in other African countries. Oil-rich Angola is described by the Sunday times as a prime example. Pa has also invested heavily in mineral-rich Guinea and Tanzania, while Madagascar has also been linked to the Hong Kong based businessman.

Political analyst Professor John Makumbe told SW Radio Africa that ZANU PFs involvement with such a character is not surprising.

It is typical of ZANU PF to be linked to the likes of Sam Pa, people who are involved in shady business deals, people who deliberately avoid transparency, Makumbe said.

Chinas influence in Zimbabwe is strengthening all the time, and it is understood that the Development Bank of China is planning US$10-billion worth of investments in Zimbabwe over the next five years. Last week, Chinese merchant Sinotex announced a US$500-million cotton production deal, set to benefit the ZANU PF beneficiaries of Robert Mugabes land grab. At the same time, Zimbabwes biggest tobacco buyer is a Chinese firm, Tian Ze, while the Chinese agribusiness Beidahuang Group is said to be negotiating for Zimbabwes cane and forestry estates. The China National Nuclear Corporation is also said to be prospecting for uranium in Zimbabwe.

The groups are all set to be exempt from ZANU PFs indiginisation plans, with tobacco firm Tian Ze already confirmed to be spared from handing over 51% ownership to Zimbabweans. South Africas Mail & Guardian newspaper recently asked ZANU PFs Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere how companies qualify for such exemptions, and he said: “We look at their disposition towards our people.”

Makumbe said that ZANU PF will make every effort to maintain its relationship with the Chinese, not only because the country is one of Mugabes key supporters on the United Nations Security Council. China has used its position as a permanent member of the Security Council to block any action against the ZANU PF regime.

It is a mutually beneficial arrangement, especially because ZANU PF is desperate for survival. They wont win an election without electoral rigging and they need people like Sam Pa to make that happen, Makumbe said.