China is a ‘Super-Friend’ – Swapo

Nico Smit

23 May 2011

DISMISSING the Washington Consensus and those who advance it, Justice Minister and Secretary General of Swapo, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, has labelled China a ‘super-friend’ to Africa.

Speaking at the opening of the Africa-China Young Leaders Forum in Windhoek on Saturday, Iivula-Ithana said that despite Africa being rich in minerals, its people has not benefitted from such resources.

The Justice Minister said that the situation demands new thinking and strategies in order to gain expertise for value addition of our minerals and to maximise the benefits that can be derived from them.

“This forum comes at the time when the forces of capitalism and imperialism are hard at work to discredit the good relationship being enjoyed between Africa and China,” Iivula-Ithana said. Labeling China as a ‘super-friend’ to Africa, the Justice Minister said that the Washington Consensus had failed to break the relationship between Africa and China.

Referring to structural adjustment programmes, “the mal-advice and plundering of African governments” by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, Iivula-Ithana dismissed the Washington Consensus and those who advance it. “They heavily criticise our relationship (Africa-China), but look at their record in Africa,” the Justice Minister said.

Iivula-Ithana said that Africa and China have been cooperating on many issues at international level, but noted that a number of challenges remain. Pointing to a global capitalism crisis, increased militarism towards weaker nations, neo-liberal and conservative doctrines and an increased scramble for mineral and energy resources, especially in Africa, the Justice Minister said that the world had become more vulnerable than ever before.

“Those nations whose purses have run empty due to the greed and carelessness have returned to piracy, a crime they have given a new vocabulary. Those countries with oil resources are the first targets, no one knows who is next,” Iivula-Ithana said.

The Justice Minister said that continuous calls for regime change in Africa causes division and discontent, and amounts to re-colonization. “We must never as Africans allow our souls to be sold for short economic gains while mortgaging the future of our countries forever,” Iivula-Ithana said.

Speaking on the need to capacitate the African Union and strengthen regional economic blocks to take on a more central role in the running and directing of African affairs, the Justice Minister asked, “how long shall we stand as onlookers, while our continent is continually being raped?”

Iivula-Ithana said that in Africa there has always been a “solid and firm” position that the path toward total economic emancipation could only be achieved if Africa partnered up with progressive friends. “The theme of the forum, “friendship, cooperation and development, is just so relevant to advance and strengthen our relationship and to strengthen our cooperation for development,” she said.

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