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Joseph Madzimure-Senior Reporter

ZANU PF and the Communist Party of China (CPC) yesterday held a virtual seminar on global significance of socialism and the two parties’ shared future.

The seminar was held under the theme: “Experience of the CPC and Zanu PF in exploring an independent development path”.

Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology principal, Cde Munyaradzi Machacha, was the head of the delegation.

Cde Machacha said the online seminar came at a time in the long history of the relations between Zanu PF and the CPC after both Zimbabwe and China were negatively impacted by global events such as Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“The history of our relationship as a people was established many centuries ago when the people of Central and Southern Africa had developed a thriving industry in gold mining and processing that attracted trade with the people from beyond the continent, including China, along the Indian Ocean coastline,” said Cde Machacha.

During the liberation struggle in the 1960s, relations between China and Zimbabwe grew further when Beijing provided military support to Harare.

The cooperation was further strengthened at the turn of the millennium when the United States (US) and the European Union imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe, in protest over the Land Reform Programme. 

Speaking soon after the seminar, Zanu PF spokesperson Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa said it was an important seminar held between Zanu PF and CPC.

 Cde Mutsvangwa said China had been socially and economically supporting Zimbabwe unconditionally.

He added that a number of developmental projects had been implemented in the country by various Chinese companies, as Zimbabwe marches towards the attainment of Vision 2030 of an upper middle income society.

“As China helps Zimbabwe to tap its rich agro-industry and its rich mineral resources, we are going to deliver the vision of shared prosperity and the dream of an upper middle income country by 2030,” said Cde Mutsvangwa. 

China will remain a solid partner and reliable partner, he said.

Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, who is the Zanu PF Secretary for External Affairs, weighed in saying the relationship between China and Zimbabwe was based on the close relationship between the two ruling parties.

“This relationship dates back to the days of the liberation struggle and we have benefited tremendously from learning from the Chinese experience of their own revolution. These virtual meetings we have been holding are regular occurrences where we share views and learn how we can be able to prosper together,” he said

“Here in Zimbabwe, we have detractors who want us to fail economically, politically and diplomatically, but of course, the history  of our development before and after independence clearly shows that China has been the most reliable of allies, in terms of standing by us through thick and thin,” he said.

He said the two countries had embarked on a number of projects to uplift the livelihoods of their people.