Okay, this just in from the “what the f*ck?” department. Two separate but probably related stories:

First up, armed Chinese soldiers have been seen on the streets of Mutare:

However … there was a surprise presence of Chinese soldiers armed with revolvers in the city. The Chinese, together with about 70 Zimbabwean senior army officers are staying at the Holiday Inn, in the city’s central business district. There are about 10 Chinese soldiers.

“We were shocked to see Chinese soldiers in their full military regalia and armed with pistols checking at the hotel,” said one worker. “When they signed checking-in forms they did not indicate the nature of the business that they are doing and even their addresses.”

No official comment could be obtained from the authorities here on this issue.

Source. No, I don’t think there will be - after all, accepting help from foreign donors is just another way of seeing the great nation of Zimbabwe become recolonised, or so we’re told when it’s the MDC we’re talking about. But as if that weren’t bad enough, strange things are afoot down in Durban, where a Chinese cargo ship has docked, apparently carrying weapons destined for Zimbabwe:

The SA Police Explosives Unit confirmed on Wednesday that an uncleared Chinese vessel docked at the outer anchorage of the Port of Durban is carrying arms. Customs revealed that the shipment was destined for Zimbabwe. Inspector Nicholas Gunther of the SA Explosives Unit in Durban told Sapa the vessel - called ‘An Yue Jiang’ - was carrying a shipment of arms.

“We went there just now and they are not being allowed in,” he said. “There was a problem with the documents they submitted and we have directed the matter to the Chief Inspector of Explosives in Pretoria, Senior Superintendent van Sittert and it may take days for them to get clearance,” said Gunther.

Source. And so we see just how desperate Bob - or those now pulling his strings - seems to be to keep hold of power in Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, but Morgan Tsvangirai and, importantly, the ANC itself have criticised Thabo Mbeki for his assertion that “there is no crisis” in Zimbabwe. First up, the President-in-waiting, speaking in an interview with South Africa’s e.tv:

“I’m sure Zimbabweans and the international community were shocked at the conclusion of that statement. I’m sure that such a misrepresentation creates the perception of quiet approval, which I think is quite shocking.

I can’t explain what informs his position; because that kind of position runs contradictory to my interaction with him.”

And then there’s the ANC, South Africa’s ruling party, whose National Working Committee met on Monday night in Cape Town - the group’s spokesperson Jesse Duarte made the following comments afterwards:

“The ANC regards Zanu-PF as an ally. However, it is concerned with the state of crisis that Zimbabwe is in and perceives this as negative for the entire Southern African Development Community region.”

Duarte said the ANC accepted that Mbeki, who had been re-appointed to mediate between Zanu-PF and the two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) factions by the SADC, “has cause to remain neutral”.

The ANC again called on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to announce the election results without delay. A run-off suggested a lack of respect for the will of the people of Zimbabwe and would be “undemocratic”.

“The ANC will contact Zanu-PF and the MDC separately with a view to hold party-to-party dialogue on the situation in Zimbabwe,” she said.

That’s not the only criticism from within the ANC. Party chairman, and Speaker of South Africa’s National Assembly, Baleka Mbete has called the Zimbabwean situation “democracy gone wrong”; ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe has been critical of Zanu-PF clearly preparing the ground for a run-off when the results haven’t even been announced yet, saying that…

“By asking for that kind of election you’re sending out the message that you know what the results are but don’t want to publicise them. What it comes down to is that the voters’ wishes are being disregarded. What’s happening there is unacceptable.”

…while ANC Treasurer General Mathews Phosa has said that…

“We can’t ignore what is happening on our borders. The numerous respected leaders of our country, region and continent must urgently play a constructive role in the mediation process to ensure that we respect the choices of the voters. If the election results are available, as some parties and observers claim, then they must be made public. We as a region cannot afford that the short-term damage becomes a long-term problem.”

Mbeki’s position is that a hard line approach could be counter-productive, but surely there comes a time when it’s clear that that softly-softly approach isn’t working? Surely, with growing reports of politically-motivated violence and now apparent foreign support for the party sponsoring that violence, that time is now?