THE recent ‘announcement’ by the embattled opposition MDC-T that it is planning to ‘launch’ more demonstrations against President Robert Mugabe and his Government’s alleged ‘misrule’ is without doubt an attempt to divert attention from Chinese President Xi Jinping’s forthcoming historic visit to Harare.
The timing of the proposed visit is curious and telling in many ways.
While Tsvangirai, who has evidently yet to overcome the horror of his July 31 2013 obliteration by ZANU PF is supposed to be containing yet another impending implosion in his somnolent party, he surprisingly plots to cause anarchy and despondency in the country through the said demonstrations which are sure to fail.
But in the wake of this frivolous attention-seeking charade is an economy on the brink of unprecedented take off.
Last week the Zimbabwe Investment Authority (ZIA) announced that the country had secured investments worth US$3 billion in the first nine months of 2015.
The Government last week was also busy with Chinese officials, signing various Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for the consolidation of the mega economic deals signed between Presidents Mugabe and Jinping in Beijing last year.
And the coming in of President Jinping, itself another endorsement of Harare as an investment destination of choice has severe repercussions on the future of the MDC-T which is currently on a life support machine.
Tsvangirai and his fast-waning MDC-T have never been fans of a performing Zimbabwean economy because it takes away the glory and glamour he believes he is entitled to revel in.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joram Gumbo, last week told journalists in Victoria Falls that Zimbabwe and China would sign an MoU during President Jinping’s visit, a development that would see China financing a number of capital projects.
Government is seeking Chinese funding for the country’s ageing road and rail network infrastructure.
Minister Gumbo was speaking after a meeting with a delegation from China led by Vice-Minister of Commerce, Zhang Xiangchen.
The delegation was in the country on a State visit to inspect some projects funded by China.
China is already funding the rehabilitation of the Victoria Falls International Airport at the cost of US$150 million.
Minister Gumbo said Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Zimbabwe in December to sign MoUs with President Mugabe.
“We were here appraising the Chinese delegation about the projects we are undertaking,” he said.
“These include rehabilitation of the Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu Road, Beitbridge-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway as well as airports, including the smaller ones such as Buffalo Range.”
The deals, said Minister Gumbo, will be sealed before the Chinese Head of State visit in December for the signing ceremony.
Once sealed, the deals would see China dualisation of the country’s truck roads and rehabilitation of the railway line which Gumbo said was in a deplorable state.
Last month major steps were taken to make this hugely anticipated take-off possible with Cabinet agreeing to a framework for guarantees for the mega economic deals.
The Chinese, according to information gathered by this publication, have literary availed a blank cheque to Harare with the issues of guarantees technically a formality.
Impeccable Government sources revealed that a Master Plan for the funding and implementation of the mega economic deals signed between Beijing and Harare in August 2014 has been completed.
All that is left is for smaller details to be dealt with and implementation of the game changing projects will commence.
A multi-billion-dollar Harare city that will forever change the face of this country is in the offing with funding and repayment modalities having already been agreed to.
The Chinese last month, made a statement of intent after Sable Mining entered into an MoU with Chinese company CITIC Construction Co. Ltd to develop a 600 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant in Zimbabwe, a deal worth US$500 million.
The plant will be constructed at the company’s 19 236-hectare Lubu Coal Project.
The proposed project is a boost to Zimbabwe’s energy supplies, with the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) unit failing to supply the market due to low generation capacity.
The Government, through the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), announced a host of reforms ‘to improve the ease of doing business’.
Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week said Government is committed to the reform agenda.
“Government remains committed to making the requisite economic reforms to attract Foreign Direct Investment and has put in place a raft of measures so that Zimbabwe becomes a competitive investment destination,” said VP Mnangagwa.
“I am charged with that responsibility of making Zimbabwe competitive and if anyone among you has better ideas which you think I don’t have you are welcome to come and assist.”
Signs that the reforms are bearing fruit are already being witnessed with the swift processing of paperwork for Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote’s proposed investment into the country done within 48 hours.
Dangote’s technical team is said to have completed all due-diligence work and everything is now set for work to start in his investments which will run into well over US$1 billion.
The Nigerian business magnate will invest in a US$400 million cement manufacturing plant, a 630MW power plant and coal mining.
Whatever that the MDC-T believes it is trying to achieve through its ill-informed demonstrations decision will surely come to naught as the country’s security will not sit and watch a gang of confused political misfits attempt to destabilise the country.