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Africa's breadbasket becomes a land of famine: a warning of Zimbabwe's decay
On the sunny African savannah, an elderly elephant fell to the ground, ending its long life, and incredibly, just two hours later, this behemoth was divided up by the villagers who swarmed there, leaving only the white bones scattered in the dust, as if silently telling the country's predicament, this scene is not sensational, but the real Zimbabwe in 2019, this once rich "breadbasket of Africa", is now mired in hunger, Even the carcasses of elephants have become food for people to scramble for, which is embarrassing
What has happened to Zimbabwe, and what has brought this once "African bread basket" to such an end? The story begins in the last century
Prosperity and Contradiction Under White Rule: The Double-edged Sword of Colonization
Back in the 70s of the 20th century, Zimbabwe was still one of the richest countries in Africa, known as the "breadbasket of Africa", during the period of white colonial rule, Zimbabwe became an important grain exporter in Africa by virtue of superior natural conditions and advanced agricultural technology, behind this rich land, but there are deep racial contradictions and social injustice, white minorities control most of the country's land and resources, while the majority of the population of blacks live in poverty and discrimination
This inequality eventually led to the struggle of the black people for national independence and liberation, and after a long period of armed struggle, Zimbabwe finally gained independence in 1980, and the black leader Robert Mugabe came to power, and the new Zimbabwe was full of hope for a fair and new country
The Shadow of Radical Land Reform: A Turning Point from Hope to Disappointment
In order to change the unfair distribution of land, the Mugabe government implemented a series of radical land reform policies, forcibly confiscating white farms and distributing them to black farmers
The inability of inexperienced black farmers to manage and use their land effectively has led to a sharp decline in agricultural productivity, a sharp drop in food production, and a massive forced land expropriation that has scared off foreign investors and left Zimbabwe's economy in trouble
The Nightmare of Hyperinflation: The Absurd Reality That Billionaires Can't Afford Bread
In response to the economic crisis, the Zimbabwean government took the worst measure of all – printing money without restrictions, and as a result, Zimbabwe fell into an unprecedented hyperinflation, with prices skyrocketing and the currency depreciating at an eye-popping rate
At its peak in 2008, Zimbabwe's inflation rate reached a staggering 231 million, and the people's hands were like waste paper, even billionaires could not afford to buy a piece of bread, this economic disaster completely destroyed Zimbabwe's economic foundation, and turned this once "breadbasket of Africa" into a "land of famine"
Man-made disasters are greater than natural disasters: reflections from the "breadbasket of Africa" to the "land of famine".
The tragedy in Zimbabwe is not an isolated case, but a microcosm of the detours that many developing countries have taken in their development process, with over-reliance on resources, lack of economic structure, corruption and mismanagement all hindering the economic development of these countries and even pushing them into the abyss of disaster
Looking back on this history, we can't help but wonder, what caused Zimbabwe to change dramatically from the "breadbasket of Africa" to the "land of famine". Is it a natural disaster? Is it a man-made disaster? The answer may be a bit of both
While climate change and natural disasters are a major contributor to Zimbabwe's food shortages, the deeper causes are man-made policy failures and a lack of social governance, as well as radical land reforms, unbridled money printing, and corruption that have pushed the once-rich country to the brink of collapse
Stones from other mountains can be used to attack jade: the lessons of China's experience
In stark contrast to Zimbabwe, China has made remarkable development achievements in the past few decades, successfully solving the problem of feeding 1.4 billion people
China has adhered to reform and opening up, constantly improved the socialist market economic system, vigorously developed agricultural science and technology, improved agricultural production efficiency, strengthened social governance, and maintained social stability, thus creating a favorable environment for economic development
The lessons of Zimbabwe and China's experience have shown that the key to the rise and fall of a country lies in whether it can find a development path suited to its own national conditions, and that there is no shortcut to development, and only by persisting in reform and opening up and constantly exploring can we achieve national prosperity and strength
Drawing wisdom from history: Striving to build a community with a shared future for mankind
As a responsible member of the international community, China has always adhered to the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, actively participated in international development cooperation, provided assistance to other developing countries within its capacity, and contributed to building a more just and reasonable international order
The story of Zimbabwe is a warning that the path of development is not smooth sailing, and that we need to continue to explore and adjust, and China's development experience has also given us confidence that as long as we adhere to the development path that suits our own national conditions, we will be able to overcome all kinds of difficulties on the way forward and ultimately achieve the goals of national prosperity, national rejuvenation and people's happiness
Feel free to leave a message in the comment area to share your views and insights on the Zimbabwe issue, and let us discuss how to contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind
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