Consummating the Chinese love affair

• Published date: 03 April 2018
• Publication title: The Herald

President Mnangagwa arrives at the Beijing Capital International Airport at the start of his five-day State visit at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as he takes his "Zimbabwe is open for business" charm offensive to the Far EastMy Turn Tichaona Zindoga. President Mnangagwa is in the People's Republic of China on a long-awaited tour that is so fraught with significance on different levels.

It's President Mnangagwa's first State visit outside Africa since he took power in November last year..

The President is continuing with a long romance that has had its moments of pleasure and pain..

Good thing it has endured. President Mnangagwa could be the man to consummate it.

. The last time he was here, in 2015, he promised a lot: to improve and reform and be a good partner.

. Fate has it that just as it was widely expected he would one day become leader of Zimbabwe and have the chance to make good on his word.

. The Chinese have been waiting.

It is a little public secret that Zimbabwe has over the years under the leadership of former President Mugabe come short, and gravely so..

The Chinese held on..

They held on to the best of memories and the hope for the best of Zimbabwe which was yet to come..

This is the promise that the new Government and leadership of President Mnangagwa has to keep..

He has to prove much more: that he is honest, that he is not corrupted, that he is agile and lively, that he has the stamina..

That he means business..

It's a challenge. One can imagine how it will be like in Beijing during the tour: marathon meetings and countless negotiations with Chinese politicians and technocrats that have a strong work ethic and would push you to the limit.

. To break you, even!.

President Mnangagwa knows this sort of thing. He has been cultivating a strong work ethic back home and has himself been working flat out and logging hours at the office.

. That gives Zimbabwe lots of hope.

. He is not one to sleep on the job!.

The Chinese partners would also want that..

The timing is important: Zimbabwe is in transition and staring an election..

It is an election that President Mnangagwa is likely to win, and largely expected to do so. This means that when President Mnangagwa is sworn in after the elections to be held likely in July, Zimbabwe will have an important guest in the name of President Xi Jinping to congratulate him and also tie in the final vows of Zimbabwe and Chinese affair.

Forever..

There is nothing to suggest that things can go...