So china’s ship bearing “goods”-arms, etc, for Zimbabwe, having been refused offload permission in RSA and Mozabique, is off to open seas?. They need not return to china. They can dock in Mombasa, and the GoK will happily help ship these goods to Zimbabwe.
First, i was really elated to know that RSA and Zimbabwe refused to allow such arms, knowing just too well what the “duly elected president” Mugabe would use them for. I am also happy to read that
“South Africa’s dock workers also said they would refuse to unload the shipment, a call backed up by the country’s powerful coalition of trade unions.”
More men like Prof. Wangari maathai needed
Second, i think Professor Wangari did a proud thing by rejecting to be part of the Olympic torch March. China can not change from within to be more “humane”. Only such “shaming” displays might help make them have a little “feeling” when they do things. As the “Genocide Olympics” protest showed, this tactic actually works, as it hits them at a vulnerable point.
Now back to kenya. I do remember that early this year, there was a similar shipment of about 4000 ( or was it 400,000? ) pieces of arms Kenya imported from the same Chinese company. I know the GoK can buy arms from whomever it wants, but hat was not the right time for such goods ( especially since we really did not have a known government at that time ). And, who knows into whose hands the arms fell? Surely, you can not believe the government’s explanation then that those were routine shipment meant for Police force. In any case, having just “lied” about the election, why would they tell the truth about the arms?
But that is all gone now ( and fortunately we do not have investigative reporters to unearth for us wheather the arms ended in Central or the RV ), but what we missed was COTU and an Atwoli urging the dock workers not to handle the cargo then.
Lead Plant in Nakuru
But there is something we can still do. There is something we can force China’s hand in. The secretive Lead smelting plant in Nakuru. Where are the activists NGOs? Where are the Egerton university students going to Nakuru and protesting about this plant?. China has no conscience. China ( just like most most Nations ) does not care that Africans in Nakuru will die of cancer or that their children will be born with deformities. The poor mothers will probably think it was just God’s will.
Think. If some Chinese companies could ship toys containing too much lead to US retailers, can you imagine the number of Chinese-made products with unacceptable levels of lead and other harmful compounds being sold in Kenya’s stores?
Genocide Olympics
But, the chinese care immensely about “honor” and “shame”. If something is going to dishonor them, they will listen to avoid such dishonor coming their way. We in Kenya, who are closer to the Sudan, should join Spielberg and protest at Chinese support for the murderous government of the Sudan. Maybe we should protest at their local ventures ( those road construction companies-we can give the contract to Kirinyaga Construction Co. ), and threaten not to buy “made in China”.
But i doubt we will. Apart from Prof. Wangari, kenya does not have men having any beliefs. Or we won’t, perhaps because the same unbridled desires that drives them, drives all of us.
On a mellower note: Or perhaps it is the time of the Beast of the East, and our protests will not have a lasting effect. Perhaps the Dragon of old has awaken. Woe unto those in his path.
