Doctoral Student Presents Research at China-Africa Think Tanks Forum

BY: .

UKZN PhD student in International Relations, Mr Clayton Hazvinei Vhumbunu, attended the 4^th annual China-Africa Think Tanks Forum (CATTF IV) presented by the South African Department of International Relations and Co-operation (DIRCO) in collaboration with the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) in Pretoria.

CATTF is a high-end platform for academic exchanges and dialogue on governance, anthropology, peace and security, foreign policy, and trade and investment between African and Chinese researchers with a view to providing intellectual support to the China-Africa relationship to make it more sustainable.

It is organised by Zhejiang Normal University, with support from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, and China Development Bank together with other African Think Tanks.

At the forum, Vhumbunu presented his research paper titled: “Africa Since the Tanzania-Zambia Railway: Reflecting on China-Africa Partnership’s Experience in Deepening and Widening African Integration through Regional Infrastructure Development”.

He presented an argument for regional infrastructure development as a catalyst for African integration, taking stock of the China-Africa partnership’s experiences, challenges and prospects in delivering African regional infrastructure since the landmark Tanzania-Zambia Railway Project, also referred to as the ‘Uhuru Railway’.

The railway was constructed by the Chinese between 1968-1976 to link the Zambian Town of Kapiri-Mposhi and the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam.

‘My research offers new ideas on the possible cross-border infrastructure delivery models and approaches that can be adopted within the framework of China-Africa Partnership to ensure complementarity and sustainability of efforts towards the physical integration of the continent so as to reduce the cost of doing business in Africa, promote more intra-African trade and enhance economic co-operation between African states,’ he said.

Melissa Mungroo