We can’t break ties with Chinese: Phuthi

Politics
ZNLWVA Bulawayo chairperson Japhet Phuthi said the headline “We don’t need the Chinese” of a story published in Southern Eye of November 12 was misleading

THE Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association (ZNLWVA) Bulawayo chairperson Japhet Phuthi has said the headline “We don’t need the Chinese” of a story published in Southern Eye of November 12 was misleading because it insinuated that the organisation had broken ranks with Zanu PF’s “Look East” policy. OWN CORRESPONDENT

The story quoted ZNLWVA national chairperson Jabulani Sibanda saying the revival of the underperforming National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) could be achieved without Chinese engineers.

However, Phuthi said all Sibanda was trying to emphasise was that Zimbabwe could use its own engineers to resuscitate the NRZ without solely depending on Chinese engineers.

“The chairperson (Sibanda) was simply saying we could use our own engineers and that does not mean we do not need Chinese. No,” Phuthi said.

“We need to work with the Chinese because we have a long outstanding history with them. During the liberation struggle they helped us a lot together with Russia. We also worked with them because our policies were equally the same,” Phuthi said.

He also said Sibanda did not challenge the Senior Minister of State Simon Khaya Moyo in any way at the celebrations marking the appointment of Eunice Sandi-Moyo as Bulawayo Provincial Affairs minister on Saturday.

“What he (Sibanda) simply meant was that Moyo should spearhead the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project, not what the story was connoting,” Phuthi added.