China, Namibia and the Coronavirus

FRITZ H. DAUSAB, LPM NATIONAL EXECUTIVE FOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS WRITES:“Speaking to reporters in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted the worrisome spread of the virus between people outside China.“Our greatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems which are ill-prepared to deal with it.” (Aljazeera, "WHO declares Coronavirus global emergency as death-toll-rises", 30 January 2020)With Namibia’s large Chinese population and Chinese ambassador trying to calm Namibians, do we have reasons to be worried? As of the 14th of February 2020, there has been more than 1 300 deaths in China alone with more than 60 000 people infected worldwide (CNN, Aljazeera).The Coronavirus, a near fatal disease started in Wuhan, in the Hubei province in China, and is treatable if diagnosed in early stages. The World Health Organisation states that the cure for the virus is 18 months away (Sky News).BACKGROUNDOne of the best defences against Coronavirus from China was the closing of borders, so that anybody leaving China could be checked before leaving. This decision alone saved many lives already, and the WHO stated that they trusted the Chinese to be in control of the virus.The problem for Namibians is Namibia’s weak healthcare system. Even though the Chinese ambassador promised assistance, the government cannot rely on China to fix our own inadequacies.A case in point is the report on a possible case of Coronavirus in Swakopmund, when Health Ministry executive director Ben Nangombe said laboratory tests must be done in South Africa because Namibia does not have the necessary equipment (The Namibian).Namibia's health facilities have since independence been used by an ever increasing number of people, without being made bigger/modernised or other state facilities being built since 1990. This was made worse by inept management by this government, with its focus being corruption and the appointment of cadres into key positions for which they had no experience or qualifications. It is a kleptocratic government without any regard for ordinary citizens.Namibia's future is closely linked to the future of China. And if a virus which is uncontrolled at this juncture and has no remedy starts to move around the world, Namibia with its inept medical system should be very worried.COMRADES IN ARMSThe bilateral relations between China and Namibia started in the 1960s, during the Cold War, when China assisted freedom fighters/liberation armies with training and weapons. After 1990, when Namibia became independent China established official relations with our country and after 2000 and FOCAC, Chinese relations with Namibia became more economic.Namibia was supposed to leverage its resources in building infrastructure such as hospitals and schools or even request China to build proper hospitals and modernize our infrastructure, but the ruling party was too busy getting loans and concessional loans and building offices, palaces, more homes for presidents and roads. Even state-owned enterprises got into the game of borrowing huge sums of money from any financial institution. Namport, an SOE which had a healthy balance sheet, went and borrowed N$3.5 billion to expand its port. A port where the fuel storage facilities were already sold to Swapo cronies in a botched plan to steal more money. Namport miscalculated, since anyone who reads trade statistics know that container volumes started to drop since 2012. How Namport will pay back the loan will depend on a miracle, but I guess there is a government guarantee . . . Minister Schlettwein might be pressured to sign another loan soon, from our good friends, the Chinese.The official position of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) is to require from the Chinese government to start to assist Namibia with the necessary medical equipment to protect Namibian and Chinese lives in Namibia. The problem being faced by the world is that there still is no cure for the Coronavirus. The only solution for China and other countries currently is preventing the spread of the virus.NOT IF, WHEN . . .If no cure is found and people are still travelling between China and Namibia, it is a fact that the Coronavirus will end up in Namibia.The choice Namibia has to make is this: Should we do what North Korea did with their own weak medical facilities and close our border for visitors from China? When will Namibia take this sensible step? Does our leadership care about ordinary citizens of this beautiful country? People who after thirty years of Swapo governance has been impoverished, stolen from and been sold to the lowest bidders of this world, while the elite can fly to any developed country to receive the best treatment money can offer.Namibia is all we have and due to mismanagement by SWAPO, Namibia is in the top three countries of inequality with weak public medical facilities. Just opposite our rundown hospital in the capital, our elite is building a palace for itself worth more than a billion Namibian Dollars, building done by China.Our biggest trading partner is China. What will the legacy be of a relationship which started in the 1960s - in the face of a virus which jumped with 15 000 cases in one day on 12 February 2020 and 5 000 new cases on 13 February 2020?

China, Namibia and the Coronavirus

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Republikein 2025-07-02

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China, Namibia and the Coronavirus

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