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HARARE, Zimbabwe, September 14, 2018 – More than 1,000 Red Cross volunteers are fanning out through the suburbs of Zimbabwe’s capital in a bid to contain a deadly cholera outbreak.
The outbreak, which started on 5 September, has killed 25 people in the Harare suburbs of Budiriro and Glenview. About 3,000 cases have been reported, and the Zimbabwe Red Cross is concerned that the outbreak could spread quickly to other parts of the country. Indeed, sporadic cases have already been reported in four other provinces.
Maxwell Phiri, Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Red Cross, said:
“The situation is incredibly complex. Most of the areas affected have already been dealing with an outbreak of typhoid. So, this is a double punch for them, and it shows the weakness of water systems even here in the capital.
“There is also a lot of movement of people between Harare and rural areas, and we’re very worried this could drive a very rapid spread of the disease.”
Red Cross volunteers are providing water treatment, tracking and referral services, and are going door-to-door to provide families in high risk areas with information about cholera prevention. A further 500 volunteers in Midlands, Manicaland, Masvingo and Mashonaland Central provinces have been activated in an effort to halt the spread.
“Cholera remains a major issue across Africa – yet, it is completely preventable,” says Dr Fatoumata Nafo-Traoré, Regional Director for the International Federation of the Red Cross. “Providing access to clean water, hygiene and sanitation and ensuring communities have the tools and information to prevent its spread will be critical to saving countless more lives.”
This is the second major cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe within a decade. In 2008, one of the worst cholera outbreaks to hit the country infected more than 100,000 people and claimed more than 4,000 lives.






“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 2nd and 3rd 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.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is today officially the President, as the Constitutional Court has verified the Harmonized Elections of 30th July 2018. That means his election and can prepare for his inauguration, as his first elected term as President. This is the continuation of Robert Mugabe, the legacy of Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF). They might try to change the perception, but the reality is that the regime is acting like Mugabe, but without him. The Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga promised to continue the Operation Restore Legacy until Mnangagwa was elected. He now is, so the coup d’etat in November 2017 have just changed the heads, but their actions are the same.
“The Constitutional Court has upheld President Mnangagwa’s victory in the July 30 harmonised elections and dismissed, with costs, an application by MDC Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa to have the election results nullified. Sitting with eight other judges, Chief Justice Luke Malaba said: “The application is dismissed with costs. In terms of Section 93, subsection 4 subparagraph (a) of the Constitution Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is duly declared the winner of the presidential elections held on the 30th of July 2018.” (The Herald – ‘BREAKING: ED win upheld’ 24.08.2018).
We know that the results was ready for, as even during the SADC Summit, the President said he had already won and therefore, asked the SADC to stop the sanctions towards the Republic. We know that the ZANU-PF was prepared for this result, as they have already started to prepare the stadium for the inauguration and the swearing-in ceremony of Mnangagwa.
We now know that as long as the result is in favor of the ZANU-PF, the institutions will be in favor of them. Zimbabwe Electoral Commission couldn’t do any wrong in a way, even if they changed a bit the results, the changes of voter-rolls and the marginal changes during the court case even. Therefore, it is rare that this sort of misconduct and lack of transparent activity is accepted. That only happens if the Mnangagwa worked one more level for more legitimacy at the cost of the truth.
If there had been fairness, the reality would be to annul it, but the Constitutional Court and the ZANU-PF wouldn’t postpone or even try to re-run. As they have all the powers and there is no need to play again. They have already settled the score, they have played this election and tried to show a little more openness. However, the state machinery was made for Mnangagwa and his cronies.
Mnangagwa might be the President and will be sworn-in quickly, some people expect within 48 hours. That means by the end of the weekend. However, the reality is that there was no celebration of the first announced results on the 2nd August 2018. I doubt that there will be many in streets celebrating him today. The contested and heated election, which without a doubt will be questioned for the times to come. As there maladministration and the lack of protocol up to the election. Can be questioned and deserves so, the appointed judges of ZANU-PF, was not surprising that they we’re delivering for ZANU-PF.
Pfee, MDC-Alliance never had a chance, the game was rigged for Mnangagwa. That we knew, but the reality is that everyone will blame MDC for not bringing the game to the Courts. However, this one was fixed. Just like the match was fixed before the polls. That is why we haven’t seen Mnangagwa sweet or be stressed by the matter. But just being cool and collected, while blaming the opposition now and then. Peace.

