Growing Chinese influence over regional ports – a warning

If we don’t tread carefully,
before we know it we are
going to see Africa’s port
systems owned by the
Chinese.
That was one of the
sobering comments from
port consultant Tau Morwe
at last week’s Intermodal
Africa conference in Cape
Town.
The overarching message
was that if African port
authorities wanted to effect
any change they would
have to up the ante, stop
talking and get down to
business.
“The Chinese are
investing from Djibouti
to Cameroon and
wherever else they see an
opportunity,” said Morwe.
“They are looking at these
investments with one goal
only: how does it assist the
Chinese economy. They are
not looking at it from an
African point of view.”
He said if China could
look at Africa strategically
for its own benefit there
was no reason why
Africans could not do so for
themselves.
“Our problem is we
do not have a strategic
approach. We just see an
investment and grab it
with no broader overview.”
He said Africans had
become great at delivering
what the Chinese not only
needed but wanted but at
their own expense.
“We are not delivering
what Africa needs,” said
Morwe.
This was reiterated by
Nozipho Mdawe, secretary
general of Ports Management
Association of Eastern and
Southern Africa (PMAESA).
“I know that Africa
needs the Chinese but to
what extent? We are being
colonised. At the same
time we have become so
dependent on aid as a
continent that we are failing
to do things our own way,”
she said.
Like Morwe, Mdawe said
it was time that African
countries started delivering
but to their own agenda
and not that of others.
Morwe said port systems
across the continent –
including the back of port
facilities and hinterland
connectivity – were in
dire need of effective
investment. “This will
create intermodal
efficiency in the long run.
At the same time we have
to start looking at regional
collaboration and how we
can work together. In Togo
they are looking at the port
and the reform of it, but in
correlation with the other
ports in West Africa.”
He said port projects
were under way across the
continent – but often it was
a singular approach not
taking into consideration
what neighbouring
countries were doing.
“It all comes back to
issues of governance.
Thirty years ago transport
ministers were talking
about what had to happen
across the continent but
it has not been realised at
ground level. Yes, there are
good things happening but
we need to start addressing
the real challenges if we
want to effect any form
of long-term change,”
said Morwe. “We have
to strengthen our port
authorities because as long
as they remain weak you
may as well forget about
development in any form.”
INSERT AND CAPTION
Our problem is we do
not have a strategic
approach.
– Tau Morwe