🔅 China-Africa Summit: We're Still BFFs
Fake It Till You Make It (to Jail) & The Untimely Passing of a Ugandan Olympian
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China-Africa Summit: We're Still BFFs
Despite a slowing economy back home and some awkward convos about debt, China is pulling out all the stops to keep its African friendships on fleek at this week's big summit in Beijing.
President Xi Jinping rolled out the red carpet for over two dozen African leaders, serving up his greatest hits about the rise of a "multipolar world" (translation: the West needs to take a seat).
Xi made it clear that China is in it for the long-term for its fellow developing countries.
Many African nations are totally here for China's support, seeing it as #goals for lifting people out of poverty. They're also not mad about getting more of that sweet, sweet Chinese investment, especially with Western aid drying up.
But… it's not all sunshine and rainbows. China is Africa's biggest trade partner, but the relationship is a little one-sided. Africa only makes up a tiny slice of China's global trade pie, and $173 billion of Chinese exports to Africa are manufactured goods, while $109 billion of African exports to China are mostly raw materials. There's a risk this imbalance could get worse as China tries to offload excess capacity.
Some African countries are dropping hints that they want to level up from selling rocks to making finished products. South Africa told Xi they want to fix their trade deficit and score more manufacturing jobs.
On the money front, Chinese banks have been a little skittish about lending to African governments after a few defaults. But deals to restructure some loans suggest China is going to stick around.
Chinese loans to African nations saw a tiny uptick to $4.6 billion in 2023 after years of decline. But that's still less than a third of the peak lending in 2017-2018.
The real test of China and Africa's BFF status could be investing in clean energy projects that could bring power to millions. Private companies might have to step up and fill the gap left by less government financing.
Meanwhile, the US is trying to shoot its shot with Africa too and, at the end of the day, African leaders are like "why can't we have both?" China and the US could team up on stuff like renewable energy and help a continent out.
As one expert put it:
"African leaders don't want to choose between two superpowers. They want to develop."
Fake It Till You Make It (to Jail)
Daniel Mthimkhulu, the former chief engineer at South Africa's state-owned passenger rail company, took the phrase "dress for the job you want" a bit too literally.
For five years, he rocked the title and a hefty 2.8m rand salary, all thanks to a CV padded with more fake degrees than a discount diploma mill.
Mthimkhulu claimed to have a mechanical engineering degree from the prestigious Witwatersrand University and even a doctorate from a German university. Turns out, his academic achievements peaked at high school graduation. Talk about an overachiever!
In 2015, Mthimkhulu's house of cards came tumbling down, and he was arrested. The court heard how he forged a job offer letter from a German company to score a raise and was behind a 600m rand deal to buy trains from Spain that were too tall for South Africa's tracks.
The court slapped Mthimkhulu with a 15-year prison sentence, sending a clear message that white-collar crime doesn't pay.
Mthimkhulu admitted he didn't have a PhD in a 2019 interview, saying he "just became comfortable with the title" and "did not foresee any damages." Twitter users were quick to point out that this fiasco highlights the need for better hiring practices and qualification verification systems.
The Untimely Passing of a Ugandan Olympian
Rebecca Cheptegei, a 33-year-old long-distance runner who represented Uganda at the Paris Olympics, has died at a Kenyan hospital after a horrific domestic violence incident.
Her partner, Dickson Ndiema, allegedly doused her in gasoline and set her ablaze during a disagreement, leaving 80% of her body burned.
Cheptegei finished 44th in the women's marathon at the Paris Olympics, a testament to her athletic prowess. Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, mourned the loss of his daughter and called for justice. The Uganda Athletics Federation and the Uganda Olympic Committee also expressed their condolences and condemned the senseless act of violence.
Despite receiving treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret city, Cheptegei succumbed to organ failure. Her partner, Ndiema, who sustained burns on 30% of his body, remains in intensive care but is reported to be "improving and stable."
Sadly, Cheptegei's case is not an isolated incident in the East African athletic community. In recent years, several athletes, including Benjamin Kiplagat, Damaris Muthee, and Agnes Tirop, have lost their lives due to violence, highlighting the need for increased awareness and action to prevent such tragedies.
In the face of this heartbreaking loss, may Rebecca Cheptegei's legacy as an accomplished athlete and beloved daughter live on.
Food for Thought
“An elephant can never fail to carry its tusks.”
— South African Proverb
" $173 billion of Chinese exports to Africa are manufactured goods"... Let's talk about the quality of these goods. Plastics that are overflooding the African markets and get dumped after few uses as the quality is so poor. The plastic litter is everywhere. They sell Chinese telephones, that have 24 hours ! of warranty as we learned in The Gambia a couple of years ago. Better produce in Africa and replace these polluting and disrespectful imports.