Is China propagating a culture of dependence?

THOMAS NSAMA | AFP PHOTO: Zambia Police officers prevent the Patriotic Front (PF) national youth secretary, Eric Chanda (C) from protesting on October 19, 2010 at the Chinese Embassy in Lusaka against the alleged shooting of thirteen Collum Coal mine workers by Chinese managers Xiao Li Shan and Wu Jui Hua on October 15, 2010 in Sinazongwe, Southern Province. Police also refused to grant a demonstration permit to major opposition political parties, Patriotic Front and United Party for National Development (UPND). Chairmen from both parties, Eric Chanda (R) and Brian Hapunda (unseen) went ahead with the demonstration. Police officers who had sealed Chinese Embassy at 07:00 this morning, harassed the two youth leaders and blocked them from presenting a petition to the Chinese ambassador Li Qiangmin.

Other than these localised disputes, the most critical challenge is the lack of systems to allow transferability of skills.

Failure to have in-built partnership systems to allow local entities to learn from the Chinese firms is bound to have long-term effects and create a dependency culture.

Most of the public work undertaken by Chinese firms should be transferred to the host government, but lack of linkage will affect future management of these projects.

For instance, since Beijing handed over to Kenya the Kasarani Sports Centre in Nairobi (left), the management has faced numerous maintenance challenges due to lack of local skills, and the government had to seek China’s assistance for its renovation.

Such occurrences are expected to rise as China undertakes more projects in Africa.

Despite these challenges, the involvement of China in Africa’s development effort has enabled the continent to break from the stranglehold of the West, where funding was tied to conditionality's.

Major infrastructural projects in power production, roads, railways and water have opened up Africa economies, providing them with the necessary facilities to expand.