By Kumbukilani Phiri

One day when all is messed up and we are all trying to look at who to blame, that’s when we will realize that we should have acted much earlier to change things. Here is my take.

The China Africa relationship goes back to as early as the independence struggle of African States in the late 1950s and early 60s. Many African countries established diplomatic relationships with China right after getting independence. That time China was also still struggling with her own problems at home with a GDP per capita less than most African countries. China had just come from a Civil war and was still bleeding from the Japan war. Most African countries shared solidarity with China. In return, despite all her problems at home, China would also always stand in solidarity with and support Africa countries. For instance, when Zambia was faced with the challenges of import and export routes to the port during the liberation struggles in Zimbabwe, it was China that came to the aid of Zambia to build the Tazara railway line. This is where the calling of China as an all-weather friend to Zambia actually came from. most Chinese workers who came to work on the Tazara project were actually poorer than their Zambian colleagues but sacrificed their lives to come all the way anyway.

Looking back today, I am sure if the African and Chinese leaders who stood for each other were still alive today like former President Kaunda, they would all be very proud of what China has become and how the relationship with Africa is still going strong.

With all this good comradeship background, it’s important for us to note that post-China development, the Africa China relationship has also changed. Depending on where you stand you can either say it has changed for the better or it has changed to capitalism. What I mean by changing to capitalism is that it’s no longer about solidarity, it’s no longer about comradeship, it’s now more about commercial transactions where the smartest and most intelligent or the powerful will walk out with a better deal. My fear is that while African countries may still be in the euphoria of solidarity and comradeship, China is ahead of competing with the West on many fronts. In short, China isn’t here to mourn our problems with Africa, they are here for business.

I remember so well when Going our Policy which was first announced in China in 1999 started gaining momentum. There was so much excitement from both State-owned and Private Chinese companies to go out there and spread their wings abroad. In 2006 FOCAC which is the Forum on China Africa cooperation officially came into being and ignited what would end up as the greatest movement of Chinese companies into Africa both for FDI and contracts for infrastructure development.

Leading up to this movement, the Chinese lacked a detailed understanding of Africa. I remember companies following African students in universities to consult about how to do business in Africa. We could see that the lack of information about Africa was genuine because all along there was very little business exchanges between China and Africa. China was willing to sit on the table with Africans to negotiate business deals based on a win-win and mutual business cooperation.

Fast forward to now which is almost 16 years after that great movement, the question is, has the business relationship worked out as initially planned to be?

My opinion is that, though quite alright the Chinese businesses brought investments into Africa and Chinese construction companies came and helped the construction of infrastructure Projects cheaply, Africa has not benefited as much as they could have. My reasons are Most African countries lacked And still lack the manpower to negotiate for good deals with China. The Chinese take many months if not years of planning and preparation for deals only to meet up with ill enlightened African counterparts. In the end, China always ends up with better deals.

Africa is full of corrupt, uncaring and selfish leaders that only care about what is in for them in any deal. So most of the time, African leaders auction off concessions for natural resources cheaply to Chinese companies just because they do get something under the table.

Chinese companies bring key staff from China. Despite creating so many jobs across Africa, Chinese companies have always brought key personnel from China. Very few Africans ever make it in the top management of any Chinese company, not even the few that studied and graduated from China and are able to speak fluent Mandarin. The Chinese companies would rather bring a Chinese graduate to take up a job in Africa leaving an African who studied in China and is able to speak their language. Most jobs created by Chinese Companies are general in nature where workers survive on minimum wages from one paycheck to the next.

There has been no real integration between the Chinese and Africans. Chinese and African leaders have cemented their relationship based on mutual respect and trust. However, the relationship between the ordinary Chinese and Africans remains very weak with no respect and trust for one another. While African and Chinese leaders can sit and dine on the same table, the ordinary Africans and Chinese rarely sit and dine on the same table. The order of the day is inequality, mistrust, mistreatment, fraud, and crimes. The recent Guangzhou incident is one such example of this problem.

Infrastructure from concession loans leaves African countries indebted. It remains unprecedented where a country that is doing so many infrastructure projects being paid in Dollars would have its currency depreciating to the dollar and other foreign currencies. The truth is, concession loans from China come with conditions that they are done by Chinese companies.

This means that the profit from the project will be externalized and that’s about 25–40% of the contract sum. Then since Chinese contractors have a tendency of bringing Chinese staff who are not paid salaries in the host country but China, it means 15-30% of the contract sum is also externalized. Most African countries don’t manufacture any equipment or building materials, resulting in another 20-40% being externalized to procure machinery and other materials. This leaves very little money to circulate in the host country. In the end, there is no money left in the country to create any ripple effects. Therefore, the African countries are getting indebted with no support economic activities to help generate income to pay off the loans.

China is letting African countries make mistakes which they avoided during their development stage. Even at their weakest after just opening up to the world in the late 70s and early 80s, the Chinese never allowed foreigners to do anything in their country without partnering with a local, whether it was a loan, Aid, or FDI, China always insisted in some instances for 50-50% partnerships between foreigners and Chinese.

In summary, as we look at where the China Africa relationship has come, we can only hope that those who have the power to drive it now will take time to reassess its performance and decide where they would like it to go. Otherwise, It may be another story of failure in history.

As countries globally battle to contain the coronavirus pandemic, some African governments naturally have their ears and begging bowls to global western governments for solutions. Unfortunately, some African governments have folded theirs arms waiting for the masters of epistemology to give direction, while others are busy copy pasting what is working in the global western economies without trying out contextual solutions. However, some pro-active African countries have managed to take the bull by its horns by encouraging local institutions not to stay idle, but contribute to searching for diverse solutions, big or small to save and reconstruct meaningful lives for the local population.

A university in Uganda has designed and produced a hands-free water and soap dispenser to use in the coronavirus pandemic period instead of waiting for China to deliver finished products. South Africa has designed and produced mobile testing laboratories for mass testing of the virus to cover a huge population within a short period. Ghana has introduced free electricity, water and a tax holiday. The direction that African countries must take is searching for local sustainable solutions than waiting for them to come from the global west when the global west is equally facing unprecedented challenges. Kudos to the Zambian Ministry of Education that has engaged the Zambia National Broadcasting Cooperation to generate a special TV station specifically to beam live class lessons in different school subjects. However, more of such innovative forward thinking is needed, especially for pupils in rural areas that do not have access to TV sets or the internet.

temporarily legalising Kachasu so that it can be used as a hand-sanitizer material for people that do not have access to clean water, soap, or any other factory tailored alcohol based hand rub

Unprecedented times calls for unprecedented measures. With the value of the Kwacha weakening against the powerful global west currencies such as the US dollar, essential preventive material in the pandemic period like hand-sanitizers are not only getting scarce, but also becoming almost unaffordable for ordinary Zambians. However, it is becoming common knowledge that alcohol based hand sanitizers are a good alternative in the absence of soap and clean water. Meanwhile Kachasu, although illegal, is readily available behind the scenes in most under-served communities in both the rural and the urban towns in Zambia.

Against this background, the Zambian government should consider temporarily legalising Kachasu so that it can be used as a hand-sanitizer material for people that do not have access to clean water, soap, or any other factory tailored alcohol based hand rub. However, this initiative should go with a deliberate awareness programme on the safer ways to brew, and later use Kachasu as a coronavirus preventive material. The local universities and other ordinary laboratories could be engaged in giving informed guidance on the nontoxic methods of producing Kachasu for use as a hand-sanitizer substitute. This process will not only save lives from the coronavirus, but also give the much needed economic empowerment to families and individuals involved in distilling it.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) warns people against excessive alcohol consumption during the pandemic because it may weaken their immune system, a counsel that must be taken seriously by everyone. However, public health officials, and other social development experts should be in the forefront to develop a useful guide in consultation with the locals on how to utilise local knowledge and locally available resources. The idea of shooting down locally produced knowledge without giving it an opportunity for testing should be condemned. In these unprescented times of the coronavirus, any knowledge that can combat the virus must be tried, and Africa should stand to taste its’ knowledge without the fear for the western epistemologists who always want to lead, and mostly demonise African possible solutions.

African universities should join in the search for the cure and other related interventions, as the various responsible institutions consult locals to generate names for the coronavirus in local languages for easy understanding of its’ social impact on the local populations. After all, African countries, Zambia inclusive have learned so much from tackling epidemics such as HIV/AIDS, Cholera and Ebola that should be put to good use as Africa faces the impact of just another virus. However, what is fundamental for most African countries based on the experiences from the previous epidemics is that, local communities must take the centre stage in responding. This is no abracadabra but reality, as infectious disease outbreaks have a common tendency of developing differently in different communities, usually based on contextual social conditions that only local people may recognise.

Therefore, most control measures such as lockdowns should not just be imposed on local communities as such, like the case with Kafue, but locals should be consulted in offering local knowledge and alternative options. Affected people should fully be involved in the planning and implementation of local measures if epidemics and pandemics have to be contained more effectively. Already in Kafue, local people are pinpointing on the possible social network that the first victim had outside of Kafue town, which makes the work for the medical authorities easier. The dominant social behaviours in each community are key factors in fighting epidemics, and only ordinary local people would be aware of such. Authorities can of course build their prevention models based only on assumptions and general social patterns, but only the real locals know what these practically entail for their particular circumstances.

Consequently, unlike in the global west, it is clear that each community in Africa will have to design its own unique response based on local needs and social behaviours. In most Zambian communities for example, greeting inlaws goes with a very respectable social and physical distancing that authorities should take advantage of when making local awareness programmes. This is something communities already practice, and can only be re-emphasised to encompass a wider scope. The same goes to washing hands, most African communities are already aware of this because of the experiences from other epidemics. Therefore, the awareness programmes should focus more on completely unknown knowledge that communities need to know.

Comparing African coronavirus deaths to Italy’s high mortality rates, it can be attributed to a large proportion of elderly people, as 23% of the population in Italy is over the age of 65. In contrast, less than 2% of Africa’s population is over 65. Based on this, the virus’ mortality rate may be lower on the continent, giving room for African governments to prepare adequately, with local communities fully involved.

Against this background, African governments should avoid abrupt general lockdowns. General lockdowns simply do not fit into the African context, except for a few stable economies that may cope with the gravity of destabilising the entire economic and social system, and rebut it again within a short period. In lockdowns, an ordinary citizen is most hit, as most African governments do not have social welfare systems and fail to administer any centralised strategy to cater for the most hit by the spinoffs of the lockdown. It is common knowledge that for the people living on hand to mouth basis like street vendors, reliant on daily flow of cash to buy food and services, a few days’ lockdown may be the difference between life and death. Lockdowns are also very difficult for people already suffering hardships of unemployment whose survival is provided by friends and relatives through our African ‘Ubuntu’ culture. So, if a lockdown cuts these social ties, adversity becomes destitution, and destitution can lead to civil disobedience, further contravening the implementation of workable pandemic control measures.

Therefore, if basic livelihoods cannot be guaranteed, a complete lockdown is not feasible, as poor people will prefer the gamble of infection to the certainty of starvation. Governments should act with urgency, but act locally by considering local contexts, respecting local knowledge, utilising local resources like Kachasu as a hand sanitizer, improvised prevention material etc. Already, there is a global shortage of prevention material and a shameful scramble among developed countries to get their own supplies – lowering Africa to the back of the queue. On daily supplies, markets, especially for fresh produce must be kept running to avoid starvation, as market goers in conjunction with local leadership devise common prevention modalities such as better hygiene. As a result, local communities and other local stakeholders must be consulted, especially in the rural areas. Authorities such as the Police and the Politicians should therefore avoid treating ordinary people as the problem, but as part of the solution through robust contextual awareness programmes.

By Kabanda Mwansa

The author is a Zambian social commentator and a PhD research fellow in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences.

Chief Kasomalwela of the Bemba people in Chembe district in Luapula has called on Zambians to enhance the use of digital financial services (DFS) as a measure to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

The traditional leader was speaking at his palace during a sensitisation meeting on Covid-19 prevention organised by theZambian Financial Sector Deepening (FSD Zambia).

This is part of FSD Zambia’s efforts to raise awareness on COVID-19 prevention through encouraged use of DFS and contactless transactions.

The exercise will see seven Senior Chiefs of the Luapula Provincial Chiefs Council (LPCC) join the national awarenessand sensitisation campaign on COVID-19 prevention.

Chief Kasomalwela stressed the need for Zambians, especially traders and marketeers, to embrace DFS as a primary form of contactless transacting in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

“We know that the virus survives and can be transmitted on surfaces such as money which makes cash transactions particularly risky. Therefore, I urge all Zambians and especially the people of Chembe to take advantage of digital financial services such as mobile money and electronic wallets to save money and make payments as a way to reduce the spread of the virus from person to person,” the Chief said.

The traditional leader further urged traders and marketeers, especially women, not to keep money in ‘chitenges’ but save using mobile money solutions offered across the country.

He encouraged his subjects not to be afraid to use mobile money because it is safe, secure and convenient provided users do not disclose confidential information such as pins.

Chief Kasomalwela appealed to Zambians to strictly adhere to measures to reduce the spread of COVI-19 prescribed by the Ministry of Health such as social distancing, contactless transactions and enhanced hygiene.

And FSD Zambia Communications Manager Eneya Phiri commended the Luapula Provincial Chiefs Council (LPCC) for demonstrating leadership in COVID-19 preparedness andresponse in Luapula Province.

Mr Phiri commended Chief Kasomalwela and his other Royal Highnesses in LPCC for lending their voice to the nationwide awareness and sensitisation campaign on Coronavirus prevention in Zambia.

“As FSD Zambia, we commend the leadership demonstrated by the Chiefs to support the tireless efforts of Government in responding to this global pandemic. Their voices will go a long way to ensure citizens in their chiefdoms and countrywide know their responsibilities to curb the spread of the virus and save lives.”

Me. Phiri disclosed that FSD Zambia is exploring various solutions to improve access and use of DFS during the COVID-19 pandemicand beyond.

He said, in addition to these efforts, the organisation has produced guidelines to safeguard vulnerable clusters such as Savings Groups protect themselves and their livelihoods during this period.