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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
THE Zanu-PF Youth League has hailed relations between China and Africa which it described as a “no strings attached partnership” – a departure from the intrusive behaviour of Western countries in the internal affairs of countries on the continent.
The party’s Youth League deputy secretary, Cde Lewis Matutu, said while African countries enjoy cordial relations with the Asian giant, fighting endemic corruption is one of the continent’s major challenges hindering progress.
Cde Matutu, who is in China attending the ongoing Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) Youth Summit that started on Monday and ends on September 2 in Beijing, said this during his address on Tuesday.
“China has provided to Africa a relationship that benefits the African citizenry, which is why it is a preferred partner. It is rather unfortunate that the United States of America and other Western countries are still partners in development, but their idea of always dabbling in domestic politics and sometimes freezing development aid to African countries to make sure that domestic politics suits their interests has not helped Africa. On the contrary, China does not dabble in the domestic politics of African countries. This is what we as Africa currently need from our development partners,” said Cde Matutu.
He said China is providing loans to African countries without demanding political and economic reforms as opposed to Western financial institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Cde Matutu said the strong Sino-African ties have forced some Western countries into panic mode and they were resorting to creating false narratives that China is exploiting the continent’s resources.
He said while rich resourced Africa is benefitting from various Chinese projects, the continent’s penchant for corruption remains its undoing.
“As the African continent, and in this relationship (China-Africa), we have an obligation to fight corruption. Despite the potential in our human and natural resources, the socio-economic imbalances on the continent are alarming. Corruption is the urgency of today and the emergency of the African continent,” Cde Matutu said.
“Our generation must take collective action against the cancer of corruption. Together, let us make corruption in Africa a risky and less profitable venture. Now that we have identified corruption as a common enemy, we must attack it knowing that our very survival rests on defeating it.”
He said youths should lead the fight against corruption which is undermining human rights and the socio-economic transformation of Africa. —@nqotshili
Online Reporter