Whose building? tracing the politics of the Chinese government-funded parliament building in Lesotho

Main author: Batsani-Ncube, Innocent
Format: Journal Article           
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id eprints-36921
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
topic JQ Political institutions (Asia, Africa, Australia)
description When the government of China offered to fund the construction of Lesotho’s parliament building, pre-existing building plans developed by Lesotho government bureaucrats were set aside. Instead, Chinese firms designed and constructed the new parliament building. These firms continue to be responsible for the maintenance of the building. In this article I explore the rationale and impact of this approach through tracing the story of how this building project was carried out and discussing the extent to which the finished product met the needs and interests of the Parliament of Lesotho. I argue that China used the parliament building project to generate a sustained presence in Lesotho’s political and diplomatic orbits. This article contributes to literature on China-Africa through problematising the notion of African agency in the relationship. In particular, the case study builds on Rich and Recker’s analysis of the China-Africa relationship, revealing the complex and nuanced ways in which African agency plays out or is undermined. Key words; African Legislatures, African State architecture, China-Africa, China aid, Lesotho, Parliament of Lesotho.
format Journal Article
author Batsani-Ncube, Innocent
author_facet Batsani-Ncube, Innocent
authorStr Batsani-Ncube, Innocent
author_letter Batsani-Ncube, Innocent
title Whose building? tracing the politics of the Chinese government-funded parliament building in Lesotho
publisher Taylor and Francis
publishDate 2022
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/36921/