People’s Republic of China is pushing the building of infrastructure projects across Africa, Asia and Latin America. The construction of roads, railways, sea ports and dams for hydro power stations are and irrigation in plantations is known as Belt and Road Initiative. This is part of China’s rise to control world trade which shows traits of new colonialism.
In 2019 China assembled all African states to Beijing in what was dubbed as Africa – China Summit. In that gathering China dangled a carrot of US$70 billion that was to be offered as loans for infrastructure projects. Some African states like Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Angola, Zimbabwe and Zambia were struggling to repay loans taken in 2015. The extension of loans by China in 2019 exacerbated a very dire economic situation in Africa as the continent was drowning in debts with no single African nation whose public debt is below 10% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The Mkhondvo Ngwavuma Water Augmentation Project (MNWAP) in eSwatini is now showing the change of alignment by the autocratic regime from Taiwan to China. The country since regaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1968 has been maintaining diplomatic ties with the Republic of China on Taiwan (ROC) not the People’s Republic of China (PRC) popularly known as Mainland China. The last Africa’s absolute monarchy maintained the status quo the last five decades and a half. The MNWAP seems to show that eSwatini is now abandoning Taiwan.
The MNWAP which involves construction of two dams in Mkhondvo and Ngwavuma rivers is a huge project in the country’s history costing E3.5 billion. The project will be done by Sino Hydro, a company from China founded in 1950 that is currently led by Song Dongsheng as Chairperson. This is a signal of winds of change because eSwatini refused to allow China to do infrastructure projects in the country before. One example is the construction of a 350km railway line from Lothair in South Africa via eSwatini to Maputo in Mozambique. The two vicinal countries to eSwatini agreed to allow China to fund the project which eSwatini refused and sought assistance from Indonesia to construct the part of the railway line stretching across the country.
We demand the release of jailed pro – democracy members of parliament honourable Bacede Mabuza of Hosea constituency and honourable Mthandeni Dube of Ngwempisi constituency. We also call for the withdrawal of an arrest warrant against exiled former MP Mduduzi Simelane of Siphofaneni Constituency. These MPs are jailed for defending people’s rights, freedom and democracy. The regime accuse these political leaders on trumped up charges of terrorism, sedition and murder. The two MPs have been in jail for over a year, since 25 July 2021. All their bail applications were rejected by the High Court of eSwatini.
The awarding of Sino Hydro company the tender for Mkhondvo Ngwavuma Water Augmentation Project is a sign that eSwatini despotic regime is now changing camps leaning towards Communist China than the old ally democratic Taiwan. This is cementing claims that the relations between eSwatini and Taiwan are now strained due to failure by the kingdom to pay loans from Taiwan. It has been more than a decade since Taiwan has been showering eSwatini with many loans. The honeymoon between Taiwan and eSwatini is over.
National Economic Movement - NEM 