April 21,2008:
Zimbabwe has bought a supply of ammunition from China. The shipment
includes 3.5 million rounds of ammunition for AK-47 assault rifles and pistols
1500 RPG rockets, and 2,500 mortar shells (60mm and 81mm). Zimbabwe is the most
repressive, corrupt and inefficient government in Africa, but is not under any
arms embargo. So the shipment of arms recently arrived at a South African port,
and the government said it would be allowed to move by truck to land-locked
Zimbabwe. There, the ammo was likely to be used to overturn the results of the
recent national elections, which voted out the current government. However, the
port workers in South Africa refused to unload the ammo shipment, and South
African police refused to fill in for the dock workers. A judge ruled that the
ammo could not be moved through South Africa to Zimbabwe. So the Chinese ship
went on its way, with the cargo containers of ammo still on board.