Christof Maletsky
25 April 2008
Windhoek — CHINA has caved in to international pressure and recalled the 'ship of shame' carrying an arms shipment for Zimbabwe, which has been sitting on a time bomb since the March 29 presidential and parliamentary elections.
The ship, An Yue Jiang, is carrying 77 tonnes of assault rifle ammunition, mortars and rifle grenades.
It was feared that the arms could be used to crack down on opposition party members in Zimbabwe.
No results have been announced for the presidential vote - a sure sign analysts say that President Robert Mugabe did not win - while the outcome of a parliamentary poll, which the opposition won, is also in doubt because of partial recounts carried out at the behest of the losing ruling party.
The recount is widely seen as a manoeuvre by Zanu-PF to manufacture a win.
In a statement yesterday, the Chinese embassy in Windhoek said the shipping company Cosco, a state-owned shipping firm, had confirmed that the arms would not be offloaded in any African country and would not be delivered to Zimbabwe.
Opposition against offloading the vessel's lethal cargo has mounted since the An Yue Jiang arrived at Durban in South Africa last week.
It left South African waters last Friday and was variously reported to be heading for Walvis Bay and Angola.
For a short while it literally vanished off the radar screen.
Cosco, owners of the An Yue Jiang, was contracted by a Chinese company to deliver the weapons to Zimbabwe.
It is carrying three million rounds of assault rifle ammunition, 3 000 mortar rounds and 1 500 rocket-propelled grenades, according to its inventory, published in South Africa.
Despite documentary evidence to the contrary, China argued that the contract was signed last year and had nothing to do with the latest unrest in Zimbabwe following last month's elections.
The Chinese ship sparked widespread international condemnation after it tried to offload the arms in the South African port of Durban last week.
Activists went to court and obtained an order preventing it from transporting the load overland to Zimbabwe.
Dock workers also said they would refuse to offload the arms.
The ship then left the Durban harbour in the hope of docking at Walvis Bay or Lobito in Angola.
However, the Legal Assistance Centre of Namibia announced well in advance that it was poised to get a court order to stop An Yue Jiang from offloading and using the country for transit purposes.
They were supported by unions such as the Namibia Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Natau) and the Trade Union Congress of Namibia, an umbrella federation of independent unions.
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) also went on an international campaign against the ship.
On Wednesday, the Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia, Zephania Kameeta, made it clear that he would support any court action by the LAC.
'CAUTIOUS'
Yesterday the ITF gave a "cautious welcome" to indications by the Chinese Foreign Ministry that the ship was "likely to return home without attempting to unload".
However, the London-headquartered global union federation noted that the Chinese government had again deferred the final decision to Cosco, the ship's owners, and that the company had not yet made a definite announcement that the arms mission was being aborted.
Cosco has given an assurance to the ITF that it was "actively resolving this matter".
"We hope that this will bring this affair to a close, and are ready, if appropriate, to stand down the international trade union operation to stop this deadly shipment reaching Zimbabwe," ITF General Secretary David Cockroft said.
He said the lesson from the ship experience was that when governments refused to do what they should, it was in the power of ordinary people to do what had to be done.
"We will draw on that experience if we learn that any further attempts are being made to hand Mugabe's thugs the weapons they would doubtless use against the people of Zimbabwe," he said.
The arms consignment also prompted calls this week for an international arms embargo against Zimbabwe.
"China is very concerned about the current situation in Zimbabwe.
We think that maintaining stability and avoiding further deterioration of the situation in this country is of prime importance right now," the Chinese embassy in Windhoek said in its statement.
It expressed the hope that Zimbabwe would find a proper solution to the election dispute through dialogue.
However, China also took a swipe at other arms-exporting countries, saying it only accounted for "a very small share" of the world's weapon trading.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has ranked China at number 10, the United States at number one and the United Kingdom at number six on a list of the world's biggest arms exporters, the embassy said.
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Onesoulzim1, who killed some thousands of DEFENSELESS Zimbabweans in Mandebeleland just 20 years ago not to mention the deaths currently perpetrated on people in rural areas who voted for the opposition? I suppose if the killings are done by Mugabe and his followers and it does not involve deaths of any members of your family then it is ok. You are only concerned about protecting THINGS.What about protecting HUMAN LIFE. Why live in fear of the West? They will take THINGS from us and we too will take THINGS from them - that is trade. Our African governments and peoples are not dumb as to allow plundering by the West. I know even South Africa is trading with the West left right and center - Is Mbeki stupid?
Awt-independent; get it right for the first time on blaming Britain and its cousins on Zim’s situation. Firstly it is evident that the Zimbabwean electorate no longer has total faith in the future of Mugabe administration, I don’t, my leader has seen his golden days and the sun is setting on him. Change is definitely coming. It is that change which the gluttonous British and their kith and kin want to take advantage of after having been overwhelmed by Mugabe on African land repossession. Britain and America virtually control all international finance institutions through their structures. Since 1997 IMF/World Bank suspended balance of payment support to Zimbabwe through British influence and economically, the effects on loans for national energy affects industrial production and ordinary man. In 2002 USA through Zimbabwe Democracy Bill instructed all International banks not to vote for loans/grants/credits advanced to Zimbabwe, this included even African/Asian Development Banks. There is no business that can take place when a country once colonized for 100 years by the same system can prosper; it has to start from ground. Since land was taken from the minority white settlers to the majority blacks indigenous, Tony Blair took it upon himself and his tabloids to demonise our national leadership so as to scare any would be future business partner for Zimbabwe and tourists who brought more revenue. Blair had the temerity to approach rival Gaddafi and African leaders to stop doing business with Zimbabwe. Why would this prophet of doom called Blair take his time to denounce a mismanaged economy that will fall on its own? Mbeki is writing a book after his term in office – today it’s about diplomacy. We were told its all about Mugabe and his cronies, what nonsense! Individuals can have houses anywhere in the world without affecting national economy. Was it about Lady Grace Mugabe who shops too much they said, what crap! My uncle runs a shop with more than 20000 dresses and shoes, if he closes shop the country’s economy does not feel a pinch! The world’s largest population is in transit so why the heck about Mugabe traveling if the whole world is traveling? Grounding Mugabe does not stop planes from flying, Europe and USA are afraid of the amount of influence this african intellectual will impart to the people at their door step. This British and American propaganda can only expose how foolish they think about African intellect. Our resources are at stake here, not dresses, houses nor bank accounts. It is the land, the mines and our industry that is being trodden. Since land repossessing, all British and American exporting business in Zimbabwe transferred their head offices down South Africa and established sister companies that imported mining and manufactured goods from Zimbabwe at under-invoiced petty prices. Our country has since been robbed of hard currency revenue through central bank. While UN gives assistance to health and education to the 3rd world and Zimbabwe is being skipped citing the preposterous good governance mantra. Is it not that health aid must increase where there is crisis? Why don’t we see humanitarian aid if Zimbabwe is so miserably managed? Blair and Brown talk of war and intervention very loud and clear while those non governmental organisations that are fed by their dirty money ululate. Yes, we have been facing a crisis for ten years thanks to your Brits. To my utter dismay, there are countries that receive enormous aid and having their debt cut but with their “good governance” can not meet the poor standards of ridiculed Zimbabwe today. I am forced to blame Mugabe right? Zimbabwe, being a pioneer land reclamation nation, is facing undue attention and needs to arm itself to the teeth. The west knows that the guns shipment is meant to kill those who are waiting to grab land for the second time that is why they are making scathing noise about Chinese shipment. Zimbabwe’s peace will be disturbed once those erstwhile enemies are back in town. For those who have chosen to dine and wine with the swine who robbed us of our essential human history – shame on you! They can hang as many of our prophets but they can not stop the tide of absolute freedom. This is the war we are to win, a war for everyone oppressed of their rights of creation. God created people need God given opportunities. Why do we have to fight the British in our own land? Why is British Europe so much interested in us? We are not having leaders killed in the streets like in Pakistan but Musharaff will address European business meetings after Bhutto is lifeless! Mugabe who wants to stick to the country’s laws is a despot! It is time Britain start to lobby for the rights of aborigines of Australia, Maoris of New Zealand, Red Indians of North America and then, we will take him seriously in Zimbabwe. Fairly through this revolution Mugabe has made mistakes as he is human but his mistakes are mistakes of our leader, mistakes to correct the anomaly left by British colonial establishment, mistakes we are proud to call them our mistakes. Hands off Zimbabwe. One Soul Africa!