Lesotho: The Prime Minister and his Chinese Envoy…

“Xie is probably the biggest corruptor in Lesotho” – Mafa Sejanamane

We are living in interesting times, when the Kingdom of Lesotho and the political elite is corrupted by one man. In this day and age, the Prime Minister Thomas Thabane and his family is easily corrupted by the naturalized citizen from China, this being Xie Yan or “John”. His been an businessman since the 1990s in the Kingdom. He has had a convenience store and two building companies registered by 2011. But by now 2018, he had 24 registered companies in Kingdom, while his also appointed as a special envoy and trade advisor of the Prime Minister.

Xie Yan or “John” is really involved in all sort of affairs. If it is the Wool War or the Red Meat ban, his been involved and ensure some high stakes. With the knowledge of his rise, his enterprises growing, while his in “office”. That should be concern in itself. This is like the Gupta’s of South Africa, but a smaller scale in the Kingdom. The Gupta’s didn’t even have any office in the Zuma Presidency, but still had massive influence over state owned enterprises. Just imagine how “John” can deal with things from his close association and connection with the Prime Minister.

With that in mind, I have some articles, where the man is mentioned and revealed his character. Like he stated himself in October 2018: “The problem with governments in Lesotho is that ministers are very slow. Everything about them is slow. They don’t have powers to make decisions,” ( Lekhetho Ntsukunyane – ‘Thabane Chinese Advisor Attacks Government’ 15.10.2018, Centre for Investigative Journalism). Now that is cleared, look at what people say about him.

“Xie, known universally in Lesotho as “John”, is a naturalised Mosotho who arrived in Lesotho from China in 1990 and built a business empire that includes supermarkets, construction, farming and quarrying. He topped the news agenda and stirred heated debate when Thabane appointed him “head of special projects and the prime minister’s special envoy and trade adviser on the China-Asia trade network” in August 2017, immediately after forming his new government” (Lekhetho Ntsukunyane – ‘Chinese business tycoon reveals how he helped fund politicians in Lesotho – but denies claim of state capture’ 01.11.2018, amaBhungane).

“The Minister of Local Government and Chieftainship Affairs Mahala Molapo has asked the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Offences (DCEO) to speed up investigations into the awarding of the M340 million tender for the upgrading of Mpilo Boulevard Intersections. Last month the Principal Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Local Government, Khothatso Tšooana, sensationally claimed that he was ordered to award the tender to a controversial Chinese businessman Yan Xie’s UNIK Construction Engineering company” (The Night’s Watch – ‘HEAT RISES FOR ‘MAESAIAH AND PHORI, THE 4X4 GOVERNMENT’S TOP LIABILITIES’ 07.11.2019).

“Mafa Sejanamane, Lesotho’s ambassador to Ethiopia and a representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), is a strong critic of Xie’s. In a lengthy editorial published by Lesotho’s MNN Center for Investigative Journalism this March, he wrote: “The picture which emerges out of Xie’s dealings is of an extremely devious person whose business modus operandi is one of a corruptor…Xie doesn’t care about those businesses as long as they are a front and a means through which he stays in the front seat for government tenders. He is a ruthless tenderpreneur. “Xie is probably the biggest corruptor in Lesotho,” Sejanamane concluded” (Lucy Papachristou – ‘Lesotho: Chinese Businessman Admits to Funding Top Politicians’ 06.11.2018, OCCRP).

I will end this part with the words of Lesotho Analysis:

“Two things are important here:

a)all known businesses of Xie were closed while LRA went on with its investigations. It is not known whether and how much Xie settled his obligations since LRA does not disclose such issues about its clients unless there is a court order. But what is known is that Xie liquidated his businesses and months later resumed business under new companies. The old companies which owed LRA no longer existed. As a result of the closure and the liquidation of those companies a number of local companies which were owed money had no alternative but to write-off substantial amounts of moneys owed. One company whose records I have seen wrote off almost M500, 000 of the debts Xie’s company owed.

b) Xie also runs a lot of companies as a silent or a hidden partner. For example he ran a company called Jackpot Wholesalers which was under a different organisation as opposed to Jackpot Supermarket. He claimed then that he was not the owner but the financier of that wholesale. It was closed, but I have no confirmation that it was liquidated like the other companies. He has a string of such companies” (Lesotho Analysis, 21.08.2017, link: https://lesothoanalysis.com/2017/08/21/429/).

When a character who does this sort of shady dealings, whose involved in direct connection with Prime Minister and his cabinet. When his there and has the ability with his “office”. We can just imagine, how he will use his influence and possible funds to sway policies and regulations his way. To enforce his businesses and his associates. That wouldn’t be weird, but natural. To that extent, that his motivation is more money, easy monopolies and hopefully a sanctioned business-model, which gives astronomical growth for his companies.

As we have seen, in 2011 he had a few businesses, but by 2018 he had registered a dozen more. This while his been involved and knowingly helped the leadership of the day. With the help, he surely wants a “pay-off”, which will include kick-backs and government tenders. We can imagine the amounts scorned and funds eaten.

“John” is taking the Kingdom of Lesotho for a fool. Thabane is facilitating it. Maybe, because John paid of his wedding and other family events. Maybe because John paid his rent while in exile. Who knows, but there is a relationship that is a gain for Xie Yan and not for the people. That should worry the King and his Court. Peace.

Chinese Investments in Africa: It is not a free-lunch, the tab has to be paid!

“African leaders should not turn the continent into a giant collector of donations and loans from wealthy nations—they must find other plausible means to help established their economic security so as to minimize poverty. This incoherent blunder on the mainland must be scrutinized.” – Duop Chak Wuol

As The 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is scheduled to happen on the 2^nd and 3^rd December 2018, there is time to remember how the Chinese is operating on the African Continent. The Chinese isn’t coming with empty giving hands of donations or even charity. They come with intent of interests and needs of resources from the continent, by offering loans, serving and building through state owned enterprises (SOE) in various of countries, whether it is roads, ports or railroads are built by Chinese Companies, by Chinese Workers and often on Chinese loans. Therefore, they might end up as Chinese owned enterprises, whose vital for transportation and export of needed minerals and whatnot from the continent.

Instead of coming with loans and direct-aid with strings like Western Powers has done over the last few decades, the Chinese are coming with friendly loans, but the Heads of State should know that the Chinese doesn’t play. They want value for money and expect a return, if it doesn’t they might snatch the new crown-jewel or anticipate to get perks from the state. If that is some sort of trade-off or licenses to extract mineral resources or even minor taxation like toll-roads, where the piece of cash will be sent to Beijing and not the capitol of the country where the road is built. That is how these people operate. They are not in it to play or be giving, but gain advantage and have the upper-hand.

This can be shown by what the State Media in China writes in Xinhua Net wrote today and what a CARI report on the same funds are saying. The Chinese portray the funding as investments on the Continent, as the funds are most likely pushed as loans, which burdens the states and that they have to repay. Loans are not given, but issued because of lack of direct funds to build those infrastructure and investments done. So, what I am saying isn’t mere speculation, but a narrative that has to sink in.

Chinese Investments:

“China’s investments into Africa surged by more than 100 times from 2000 to 2017. In the past three years, annual Chinese direct investment into Africa was about 3 billion dollars on average. By the end of 2017, China’s investments of all kinds into Africa totaled 100 billion dollars, covering almost every country on the continent” (Li Xia – ‘Facts & Figures: China-Africa ties: cooperation for shared future’ 02.09.2018 link: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-09/02/c_137438845.htm).

Chinese Loans:

“From 2000 to 2017, the Chinese government, banks and contractors extended US $136 billion in loans to African governments and their state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Angola is the top recipient of Chinese loans, with $42.2 billion disbursed over 17 years. Chinese loan finance is varied. Some government loans qualify as “official development aid.” But other Chinese loans are export credits, suppliers’ credits, or commercial, not concessional in nature. China is not Africa’s largest “donor”” (China Africa Research Initiative – ‘DATA: CHINESE LOANS TO AFRICA’ Version 1.1 August 2018).

They might try to conceal the reality, just like make-up is used on the face to fade the age or even marks that shows stress or pimples. However, the Chinese cannot be able to lie about their intent. They would not offer these sums of cash, without expecting a turnover or even profits. The Chinese wouldn’t allow all these billions of US Dollars spent on these nations to be spoiled and lost on the streets of Lome, Harare, Addis Ababa or Nairobi. They anticipate a return on the loans, either straight cash or getting pieces of the built infrastructure to advance the value of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

That the Heads of State in Africa should be concerned as they are getting in debt traps, instead of being in cycle of positive growth, they are getting new loans to pay the old ones. They are using the same creditor to secure new loans on top of the old-debt. That is how it will continue, until a point where they cannot pay the defaulted debt and the Chinese would then come to snatch something of value to recoup the failing debt. Because they don’t want to write-off the big money without having anything in return. That is what the Chinese has done in Sri Lanka and might start elsewhere. There might be soon more control of port in Djibouti or railroad of Kenya, even the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway line too. As they want their value of money.

They might be all smiles and photo-ops in Beijing these days, the smiles and added loans to dozens of countries. The added “investments” and deals struck, but the Chinese will not do so without getting something in return. To think otherwise, is to be naive and think they don’t have an agenda by doing it.

There is nothing like a free-lunch and the people will learn that, the Heads of State will not directly pay the debt, but the states will do so. Maybe not in this decade or next 5 years, but sooner or later. The bill for the coffee and biscuit will come. Than it is all eaten, but tab still has to be cleared. Peace.

New Social Media Shut-down or Ban in Uganda!

Afterthought!

As expected the Ugandan Government will shut down or have shut down the Social Media in Uganda, and their plans to Silence the Opposition and news about the Opposition as the finale stages towards the Swearing-in of President Museveni into his 7th Term as President of the Republic of Uganda on Kololo Independence Ground is estimated to happen tomorrow as Presidents, Presidential Envoys and other dignitaries comes to be parts of jolly occation.

This while the Opposition are under house-arrest, detained and silenced. The Grand Dictators Party at Kololo with fellow dictators and totalitarian leaders except for President Magufuli of United Republic of Tanzania who wants to honour the man who offered the Crude Oil Pipeline too his country! The rest is Swaziland representatives, Leshoto and others who would easilly be handpicked as men who does not care about democratic values in their own countries and looks up to President Museveni and his actions. Say I am wrong, Mr. President? 

So expect that Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter in Uganda, and in the Republic of Uganda will be gone as the UCC and Government of Uganda; want to totally control the Steady Regress of the Nation as we know it. They cannot help themself. We can only pray and wish that the NRM could see their foolish actions… But the close leadership around Mr. President is like Ofwono Opondo, I am not worried.

First Company:

Second Company: 

So Ugandans go back to VPN and QUICK! Peace. 

One way to Bypass the Ban: 

Cloud VPN (Free & Unlimited)

Go in there and follow instruction so you can bypass this foolish mess.

Hope that can help in the time of the Government tries to totally controll all movement and intimidate while the President and his guests lives in lavish lives.. Something that isn’t right. Peace.

Pending corruption cases and other sagas

Today I will go through a bunch of corruption cases like I have done before. From the executive of Jotun Mr. Gleditsch who doesn’t see bribes of costumes officers as corruption. A brother like me wonders what he then sees as corrupt behavior. Yara has cases with corruption in Libya and India. The executive Milka of Value Packaging Company in Gurajat in Kutch, the leader is accused and arrested for corruption. In Texas Mr. Witt is in a corruption case because of his former employer Royal Shell Nigeria and the Texan court has cases pending. Former Detroit Major Kilpatrick has 23 counts in his belt by now. In the kingdom of Leshoto a lot of high profile cases against former ministers some are postponed and we’re allowed to ask questions about that behavior!

Odd Gleditsch Jr. who took over the business after his father, the paintmaking business in Sandefjord is quoting for saying this to the Norwegian Brodcasting Company (NRK):

“I would not call it corruption if you pay a costumes officer 50 dollars to move your documents upfront in the pile so that the raw materials get quicker out of the harbor” (Veum, 2014). While Odd doesn’t see anything wrong with that, I do, because if you don’t have guidelines and rules to codes of conduct anywhere then it’s hard to know if you’re either right or wrong, but I have a feeling that Mr. Gleditsch Jr. tried to defend his actions.

Well, four former Yara International AS Executives has been charged with corruption after $8m bribing in Libya and India. Public Prosecuter Marianne Djupesland: “The indictment regards very serious acts of corruption, and the police believe we can prove that these people were involved. But it’s up to the courts to make a decision on their guilt”. The for ones accused of corruption are Thorleif Enger, Tor Holba, Daniel Clauw and Kendrick Taylor Wallace. Mr. Wallace has been accused to paid $5m to a Libyan minister in 2007. This was a deal that was between Yara and Libyan National Oil Corporation, and accepted by Mr. Enger, Mr Holb and Mr. Clauw. The executive of Jørgen Ole Halsestad of Yara now has stated: “For Yara as a company, this has been a very serious case, and the indictments underline its gravity” (Hovland, 2014).

In India Mr. Sunil Rajendra Milka a former partner in the Value Packaging Company has been arrested by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Gurajat. He was arrested in the village of Galdapar near Gandihidam in Kutch. He was at the office of the Value Packaging Company when they apprehended him. The case is about misusing the ownership of the company in his wife’s name and also allocation of land (Indian Express, 2014). This case is still to be concluded.

In Texas there is still an ongoing case that has been on since 2007 between former oil-engineer Mr. Robert Witt, his former Employer Royal Shell Nigeria Company for the bribing of Nigerian officials. Mr. Witt has complied to the Texan courts that Royal Shell has tried to destroy his reputation while Shell Senior Managers had paid Nigerian contractors who is working for Nigerian officials (Alike, 2014).

In Detroit former Mayor Kilpatrick has been found guilty on 23 counts of corruption and his contractor Bobby Ferguson found guilty of 9 crimes (Detroit News, 2014).

In Lesotho the former finance minister Timothy Thahane been accused of embezzeling R24m from farming projects. This case has been postponed to the extent that High Court Justice Tseliso Monaphathi commented: “It now seems to be the tradition to postpone these high-profile cases … this should not be tolerated. It affects the reputation of this court and all the courts in this country”. Other high profile cases that have been postponed the former deputy prime ministry Mothetjoa Metsing has been accused of embezzling R50m from road projects. Also former Resources minister Monyane Moleleki made licenses for the diamond industry. He has claimed to be too ill to go to court (Jordan, 2014).

My 2 Cents:

This has to make your mind wonder. If it doesn’t I don’t know how to find cases that makes your mind bubbly. Nevertheless, its international cases from Norway to Lesotho, the thing is that we have to work against on this globe. Because everybody want a quick buck and earn it without doing real work. Or getting an extra meal as a civil servant or percentage as a seller as an employer in a new field for your business. Peace.

Links:

Alike, Ejiofor – ‘Shell Nigeria Case to Set Legal Precedent in US Corruption Cases’ (10.12.2014) Link: http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/shell-nigeria-case-to-set-legal-precedent-in-us-corruption-cases/196309/

Detroit News – ‘The Detroit City Hall corruption case’ (13.12.2014) Link: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/99999999/METRO/100623001

Indian Expresss – ‘Corruption case against Pradeep Sharma: Value Packaging’s Milak arrested’ (09.12.2014) Link: http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/corruption-case-against-pradeep-sharma-value-packagings-milak-arrested/#sthash.1V2ZecXX.dpuf

Jordan, Michael J. – ‘Lesotho wrestles with corruption’ (12.12.2014) Link: http://mg.co.za/article/2014-12-11-lesotho-wrestles-with-corruption

Hovland, Kjell Malkenes – ‘Four Former Yara Executives Indicted for Corruption’ (17.01.2014) Link: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303465004579326260218896326

Veum, Erik and Grymer, Torunn – ‘Hadde vi ikke betalt bestikkelser ville vi ikke fått kontraktene’ (13.12.2014) Link: http://www.nrk.no/norge/_-hadde-vi-ikke-betalt-bestikkelser-ville-vi-ikke-fatt-kontraktene-1.12100222