The study “‘Comrade or coloniser’: Competing discourses on Sino-Zimbabwe relations in the local press” by Tendai Chari from University of Venda used Michel Foucault’s discourse theory to analyze the discourses in four Zimbabwean newspapers about the relationship between China and Zimbabwe.
The relations between the two countries date back to the 1960s and the 1970s and the liberation war, where Rhodesia became Zimbabwe. This relationship has been both described as ‘neo-colonialism’, and as China being a messiah or “all-weather friend” to Zimbabwe. In the latter framing, China is praised for being an economic outlet for Zimbabwe after its fallout with the West.
China has often been portrayed negatively in its relationship with Africa in the global press, with frequent allusions to colonialism or neo-colonialism, or being called a ‘resource-hungry predator’. Of course, behind this portrayal were also the interests of the West, as here politicians were concerned that the growing Sino-Africa relations might hinder its own cooperation with Africa.
In the African media, the perceptions were also seemingly dominated by negative frames, as revealed in a previous study (Munoriyarwa and Chibuwe 2022). However, Wekesa’s (2013) study on Zambian newspapers revealed a more optimistic view of China, with only one oppositional newspaper, the Zambian Watchdog, displaying a viewpoint reminiscent of the Western view.
Further, Mgunda’s (2022) study on Malawian newspapers showed the promotion of the interests of both countries. Hence, it can be said that the view on Sino-Africa relations in African newspapers is complex, diverse and nuanced.
In Zimbabwe, the few previous studies on the relations show that in privately owned media, China is portrayed negatively, while in the state-owned media it is depicted in a positive light – describing the relations as mutually beneficial.
This article adopted a constructivist discourse approach (Foucault 1972), defining representation as ‘meaning through language’ (Hall 1997). Hence, the reports produced by “different newspapers on Sino-Zimbabwe engagements are versions of reality and not ‘final moments of absolute truth’”.
Four widely-read newspapers, the state-owned The Herald and its weekly sister publication The Sunday Mail, and the privately owned Newsday and its sister weekly, The Standard were chosen as sources. A total of 215 articles from between 2000 and 2020 were selected for analysis.
One of the key discourses identified was the debate on whether the relationship between China and Zimbabwe was beneficial to Zimbabwe or not. As in previous studies, state-owned papers constructed the relationship as beneficial, and highlighted various benefits, but were strangely silent on what benefits China gained.
Private newspapers, on the other hand, were pessimistic or even cynical. The Standard depicted the relationship as benefiting the political elite, not ordinary Zimbabweans, and according to the author, the papers deployed neo-liberal tropes to buttress their claims, claiming that the relationship was parochial, nativist, short-sighted and anti-globalisation. This in contrast to relations with the West, which were celebrated.
The issue of sanctions by the United States and the European Union were paid attention to. The state-owned newspapers praised China for defending Zimbabwe against the sanctions or the threat of sanctions, while the private newspapers cast China as the villain – being complicit in human rights violations and for undermining the democratic processes in Zimbabwe.
Further, the study categorized the journalists in regards to their opinions on Sino-Zimbabwe relations as optimists, skeptics, or pragmatists (the smallest group) by interviews that were also part of the study.
The article “‘Comrade or coloniser’: Competing discourses on Sino-Zimbabwe relations in the local press” by Tendai Chari is in Global Media and China. (Free abstract).
Picture: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe by Eden Constantino.
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