Times Of Swaziland: CHINA BAN: ESWATINI COMPANY LOSES E70M

CHINA BAN: ESWATINI COMPANY LOSES E70M
================================================================================
BY MFANUKHONA NKAMBULE on 26/01/2020 01:37:00


MBABANE – Massive loss!  Due to the reported ban on China’s exports to
Eswatini, one local company’s E70 million worth of containers are stuck in
that country as manufacturers there are reluctant to release them to him.
Investigations by this newspaper revealed that the government of the People’s
Republic of China (PRC) might have influenced Chinese businesses to stop trade
with emaSwati or companies from Eswatini until further notice.
In fact, the Times SUNDAY has seen the notice issued by Beijing on visa
applications by emaSwati.
It is titled ‘notice of new visa application procedure of Swaziland (Eswatini)
citizen to Mainland China.’
It reads: “According to the latest notification of the Chinese government,
starting from January 10, 2020, visa applications of Swaziland citizens to
Mainland China will be processed by the Chinese Embassy in South Africa. At the
same time, the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre and other Chinese
Diplomatic Missions will not accept the applications anymore.”
Approval
It could not be ascertained if another notice was issued to Chinese businesses
to stop trading with emaSwati. Sources said it was possible that China told its
businesses to seek approval to trade with emaSwati. Some orders placed with
Chinese businesses after January 10, 2020 were either rejected or accepted with
strings attached, with delivery of the containers being blocked at China’s
ports.
In 2018, the Wall Street Journal and other publications reported that Ford cars
and California fruits were among goods piling up at Chinese ports, the result of
increased inspections that business groups felt was China’s way of reminding
the US of how important its market was to American exporters.
Navel oranges, lemons and cherries from California in USA, along with American
apples, have been sitting at Chinese wharves for longer than normal as Chinese
inspectors spent more time inspecting the fruits for pests and decays, U.S.
trade groups said at that time.
frustrated
Back to the frustrated local businessman, he was almost in tears yesterday
afternoon when he was called by this newspaper to shed some light on the matter.
He vehemently declined to do so on the grounds that he wanted to recover well
enough to talk to the media.
“Can I be given a week to recover from what has befallen me,” he pleaded.
He asked that his name and that of his company be not mentioned as he was trying
to negotiate for the release of his goods.
His company supplies pharmaceuticals to government. As the year begins, the
company had hoped to keep adequate medicinal drugs so that they were not out of
stock.
The Times SUNDAY can mention that there were concerted political efforts outside
government to ask the government of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing
to treat his case as an isolated one – in a bid to release the containers to
Eswatini.
confirm
Dr. Vusi Magagula, the Director of Medical Services in the Ministry of Health,
could only confirm that some of their suppliers bought the drugs from the
People’s Republic of China.
He said their suppliers did not, however, buy ARVs from that country. He added
that they also bought bandages from Mainland China. Due to the sensitivity of
the matter, Dr. Magagula did not give details on the nature of their
suppliers’ trade relations with that country’s manufacturers and
wholesalers.
Lucky Ngubane, who was given a one-year VISA for entry into China, was in a
dilemma when he was telephoned on Friday. Ngubane said he had sleepless nights
when he heard of the ban.
The businessman pointed out that some of his colleagues told him that the
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Pretoria did not help them when
they went there to apply for the VISAs.
expires
“I don’t know what to do now, I can go there because the VISA expires in
October 2020 but what if I go there and they turn me away? I am just
confused,” he said.
A third businessman who was expected to leave for China on February 3, 2020 said
he lost about E7 000 through an order that he made online.
He said he bought a few goods online. He disclosed that his supplier in Mainland
China was refusing to release the goods to him.
“I can say I’m fortunate because I lost E7 000 and I can buy the material in
South Africa. My friends, one of them could lose E70 million of stock and we
have to pray for him as he is confused, he doesn’t know what to do,” said
the businessman who said his clients put it in a policy that he should not speak
to the media on any matter without their approval.
urgently
Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo urged government to attend to this matter
urgently. He said Mainland China was the second largest trade partner after
South Africa, and Eswatini needed that country most.
He urged the office of the prime minister to issue statements on this matter
from an informed position. Khumalo explained that emaSwati were not being
elevated to get visa services from the Pretoria Embassy of the People’s
Republic of China to South Africa.
He said it meant there was a problem at hand that should be attended to as a
matter of urgency. The veteran MP mentioned that the notice on the changes on
the visa applications was not issued by the embassy but Beijing.
He said it was a pity certain people rubbished the proposed trade relations
between Eswatini and China, and were quiet and not offering a solution now.
“It’s not necessary to say ‘we told you so.’ However, we have a problem
at hand that is beyond government’s control. Our economy is at stake,” said
MP Khumalo.
trade
“We wouldn’t be where we are if we did establish the trade relations with
Mainland China.”
MP Sibusiso Scorpion Nxumalo pointed to the fact that Eswatini trade with China
was massive. He opined that it was prudent for the country to engage China on
the issue of the trade relations.
Nxumalo mentioned that the bilateral relations between Eswatini and Taiwan did
not stop trade between local businessmen and Mainland China from taking place.
“The uproar signals the amount of trade between Mainland China and our local
businesses,” he said.
Senator Prince Magudvulela advised that it was good to be proactive and
preventive as a country. He further advised against being always reactive.
The senator urged the kingdom to ensure its intervention was therapeutic. In
this context, being therapeutic means restorative.
Prince Magudvulela said the motion moved at the House of Assembly calling for
the establishment of the trade relations with China should be allowed to be
debated in the spirit of democracy.
He said there was a need for the opening of a Trade Mission for Beijing in the
country because many of the country’s people and businesses traded with that
country.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini on Friday said there was no
cause for alarm and there was irrefutable information  that only applications
for a visa to China had been altered for emaSwati.
indicated
“As a result, the only Visa Centre where emaSwati should apply was indicated
to be the Chinese embassy in Pretoria and not Sandton or elsewhere,” the prime
minister said.
The premier discouraged speculative positions that had been adopted and flaunted
as the reasons for the cause of the changes in visa application procedures. He
said each sovereign nation reserved the right to execute its public mandate the
way it deemed fit without fear or favour.
“The government remains committed to serve the citizens of Eswatini and
maintains an active interest in the matter,” he said.
When one of the businesspeople who were turned away at the Chinese Embassy was
told of what the prime minister said about the issue, he was so angry that he
used strong language against government.