[This is all part of Mugabe’s long-term plan to align with Communist China. Jan]

Students at all Zimbabwean universities will later this year be required to learn to speak and write Chinese as part of a drive by President Robert Mugabe to promote his “Look East” policy, a cabinet minister has announced.

Higher Education Minister Stan Mudenge said the government would introduce Chinese into the curriculum at universities because of a “compelling need” to bring the peoples of the two countries together and promote increased tourism and trade.

But students, who have been urged to prepare to become fluent in tongue-twisting Mandarin, have lashed out at the idea, saying the planned move was a case of the “madness of the Mugabe regime scaling new heights”.

Washington Katema, president of the Zimbabwe National Association of Student Unions (Zinasu), which represents students at all seven universities, said he had learnt of Mudenge’s announcement with sadness.

“It seems they are trying every political gimmick to lure the Chinese into this country to bankroll their bankrupt regime,” Katema said in an interview yesterday.

“But they should not do that at the expense of students.”

Nelson Chamisa, a former student leader who is now spokesman of the Movement for Democratic Change and the opposition party’s national youth chairman, said the move was part of a plan to mortgage Zimbabwe to the Chinese.

“They (the Zimbabwe government) are facilitating Chinese imperialism,” he said. “The problem is that these Chinese have not brought any benefits but are instead siphoning our resources out.”

Mugabe urged his country to “Look East” and forget the West after sanctions were slapped on Zimbabwe over human rights abuses.

But his critics dismiss the “Look East” policy as an empty political slogan which will not rescue the economy.

Source: Cape Argus
URL: http://www.capeargus.co.za/index.php?fArticle…/p>