Vol 4 (AAC) No 9 | SOUTH AFRICAZIMBABWETAIWAN Trucking trials 13th July 2011 The trial of Jack Hsieh (Hsieh Ping-sung) and his four truckers, accused of defrauding powerful Zimbabwean interests, rumbles on. Hsieh, who is from Taiwan and has South African...
Vol 4 (AAC) No 7 | ZIMBABWECHINASINGAPORE Trucks, triads and subs 13th May 2011 Few believe the official explanation that 87-year-old President Robert Mugabe’s frequent visits to Singapore are to monitor his February cataract operation or that he is being the doting...
Vol 4 (AAC) No 6 | ZIMBABWECHINA Trading partners 15th April 2011 New indigenisation rules mean that European mining companies are on the way out while Asian companies are protected by their allies in Harare Robert Mugabe’s pet policies are souring the milk of friendship he shares with China. Chinese Deputy Premier Wang Qishan visited Harare in late March with a basket of financial support....
Vol 4 (AAC) No 6 | ZIMBABWECHINA Sino-Zimbabwe in the Marange diamond fields 15th April 2011 The Kimberley Process suspended diamond sales from Marange in 2009 due to concerns about transparency in the production chain and the illicit activities of the security services in the region,...
Vol 4 (AAC) No 4 | ZIMBABWECHINA Platinum-bottomed deals 28th February 2011 Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi wants strengthened relations with China’s ‘good brother’ Zimbabwe but conditions on the latest deals are tougher Beijing is offering its biggest financial deal yet in Zimbabwe but the cash-strapped,power-sharing government may yet turn down the investment. For all President Robert Mugabe’s enthusiasm for China,...
Vol 4 (AAC) No 4 | ZIMBABWE The Great Dyke anomaly 28th February 2011 Platinum output for 2011 is projected, in the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s recent mid-term review, to have almost doubled in volume to 12 tonnes since 2009. The RBZ...
Vol 4 (AAC) No 4 | ZIMBABWEINDIA What’s mine is mine 28th February 2011 In November 2010, India’s Essar group (through its Mauritian subsidiary) announced it would take a 54% stake from the government of Zimbabwe in its long-troubled iron and steel...
Vol 4 (AAC) No 4 | ZIMBABWE Mthuli Ncube 28th February 2011 Chief Economist, African Development Bank At the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos from 25-29 January, Mthuli Ncube welcomed Chinese investment but cautioned that Chinese and African governments should ensure local partners share...
Vol 4 (AAC) No 2 | ZIMBABWEASIA Rust never sleeps 27th December 2010 After much stalling, the first privatisation deal with the Zimbabwe government has finally been sealed. An estimated 53% of the country’s largest public company, the Zimbabwe Iron and...
Vol 4 (AAC) No 1 | ZIMBABWEASIA Doing the Charamba 18th November 2010 One consortium gains, another loses: ministers will decide which lucky locals can partner with international investors in the indigenisation scheme George Charamba is President Robert Mugabe’s official spokesman and information supremo. The job description is not well defined and Charamba feels free to ennunciate what he thinks policy...