H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Business
Image Source: Annabelle Chih/Bloomberg
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is facing growing political pressure over his decades long investment history in China, drawing criticism from U.S. lawmakers and former President Donald Trump, who has publicly called for Tan’s resignation, labeling him “highly conflicted.”
Tan, who became CEO of Intel in March 2025, built a formidable reputation in the tech and venture capital world through Walden International, a firm he founded in San Francisco in the 1980s. Over more than three decades, Walden invested over $5 billion in 600+ companies, with more than 100 of those investments based in China including Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC), where Tan served on the board for 15 years.
As U.S.-China tech tensions deepen, scrutiny of Tan’s past ties has intensified. In a recent social media post, Trump accused Tan of being “highly conflicted” and urged him to step down, citing concerns over national security and past board roles at Chinese companies. U.S. lawmakers have echoed similar sentiments, including Senator Tom Cotton, who raised questions about Tan’s suitability to lead Intel in a letter to the company’s chairman.
In response, Intel reaffirmed its commitment to U.S. national and economic security. “Tan and the board are deeply committed to advancing U.S. interests,” the company said in a statement. Tan also responded directly in a letter to Intel employees, asserting that he has “the full backing of the company’s board” and that he is “engaging with the Administration to address the matters that have been raised and ensure they have the facts.”
Tan, a Malaysia-born Mandarin speaker, led Walden’s aggressive push into East Asia's chip industry when most VCs avoided it. Under his leadership, Walden became one of the earliest backers of SMIC, now China's top chipmaker and a key player aligned with tech giant Huawei.
In 2020, SMIC was added to the U.S. Commerce Department's entity list for its alleged ties to the Chinese military, effectively restricting its access to U.S. technologies.
Tan has since divested from Chinese holdings following his appointment at Intel, according to sources familiar with the matter. He no longer serves on the boards of Chinese firms and has shifted investment focus toward the U.S., Europe, and Israel through new ventures like Walden Catalyst Ventures and Celesta Global Capital.
Tan’s past leadership at Cadence Design Systems, where he was CEO from 2009 to 2021, also drew scrutiny. In July 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice fined Cadence over $100 million after its China unit was found to have supplied blacklisted entities, including a Chinese university engaged in nuclear simulations.
While Tan was not personally named in the DOJ findings, Senator Cotton cited the case as part of his broader criticism of Tan’s leadership history.
Despite the backlash, public records indicate that neither Tan nor Walden Catalyst Ventures holds significant active stakes in Chinese firms. According to PitchBook, Walden’s China presence has “significantly diminished,” reflecting an industry-wide shift as geopolitical tensions reshape global tech investment.
Intel’s board continues to support Tan as CEO, emphasizing his leadership during a critical time for the U.S. semiconductor industry, as Washington pushes to reduce reliance on foreign chipmakers and rebuild domestic manufacturing.
H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering the USA
Image Credit: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced Wednesday that he and four other Democratic senators have formally invoked a century old statute known as the Rule of Five to compel the Department of Justice and the FBI to release all files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking at a press conference on Capitol Hill, Schumer explained that the statute grants five members of the Senate Homeland Security Committee the authority to demand executive branch disclosures. According to Schumer, the request demands access to “all documents, files, evidence and other materials” relating to the U.S. v. Jeffrey Epstein case.
“While protecting the victims’ identities must remain a top priority, the public has a right to know who enabled, knew of, or participated in one of the most heinous sex trafficking operations in modern history,” Schumer stated.
The demand targets what Schumer described as a pattern of “stonewalling and evasion” from the Trump administration, despite past public assurances of transparency from Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel.
Schumer accused former President Donald Trump of breaking a campaign promise to release the Epstein files and said the move by Senate Democrats represents a legal, non symbolic use of congressional authority. “This is not a stunt. It’s a formal exercise of congressional power under federal law,” Schumer said. “And we expect an answer from the DOJ by August 15th. That’s what accountability looks like.”
He also called upon Senate Republicans to join the initiative, appealing to bipartisan values of oversight and transparency.
In addition to the demand for file disclosure, Schumer urged the FBI to conduct a counterintelligence threat assessment, citing concerns that foreign intelligence services could exploit classified or unreleased Epstein related information. He warned that failure to secure these files could result in national security vulnerabilities and potential leverage over high ranking officials, including Trump and his inner circle. “We need to assess whether foreign entities can use cyber intrusion or other methods to access what this administration refuses to release,” he said during a floor speech earlier in the day.
The Rule of Five is a rarely used provision within federal law that allows five senators on the Homeland Security Committee to request information from the executive branch. If valid, the executive is legally obligated to respond. Schumer’s announcement marks one of the most high profile invocations of the statute in recent memory.
The renewed push to unseal the Epstein files comes amid ongoing public scrutiny of Epstein's connections to powerful global figures and new legal battles surrounding his former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
If the DOJ fails to comply by the August 15 deadline, it could set off a legal and political showdown between Congress and the Trump administration. Schumer insists that Senate Democrats are prepared to escalate the matter if needed. “We are done with secrecy and silence,” Schumer declared. “It’s time the American people got the full truth.”
K. Rahmani is a Jadetimes news reporter covering culture.
Image Source: Matesu Dube
1. Introduction: A Landmark Partnership
In January 2025, Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and UNESCO formally inaugurated a two-year programme to safeguard the country’s intangible cultural heritage (ICH). This joint initiative will:
Raise public awareness of living traditions
Strengthen legal and institutional frameworks
Empower communities and traditional leaders as custodians
The launch ceremony in Harare drew government officials, tribal elders, heritage experts, and UNESCO representatives—underscoring a shared determination to shield Zimbabwe’s ancestral wisdom from the twin pressures of globalization and urban migration.
2. Understanding Intangible Cultural Heritage
According to the 2003 UNESCO Convention, intangible cultural heritage encompasses:
Oral traditions and expressions, including storytelling, proverbs, and rituals
Performing arts, such as music, dance, and theatre
Social practices, rituals, and festive events, like rain-making ceremonies
Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, for example medicinal plant lore
Traditional craftsmanship, from basketry to textile weaving
Unlike monuments or historic sites, ICH is living heritage—transmitted across generations, constantly evolving, and deeply woven into community identity.
3. A History of Zimbabwe’s ICH Preservation Efforts
Zimbabwe’s journey toward safeguarding intangible heritage spans nearly four decades:
1985: Enactment of the National Museums and Monuments Act, which laid groundwork for cultural protection beyond archaeology and architecture.
2003: Adoption of UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
2006: Ratification of the Convention by Zimbabwe, enabling formal alignment of national policies with UNESCO standards.
2008: Inscription of the Mbende Jerusarema dance on UNESCO’s Representative List of ICH, the first Zimbabwean element recognized globally.
2010: Listing of the art of crafting and playing the Mbira/Sansi lamellophone, highlighting the central role of music in Shona and Tonga cultures.
2013: Submission of Zimbabwe’s first periodic report on ICH implementation, marking an institutional commitment to ongoing monitoring.
2022: Revision of the National Cultural Policy to integrate ICH mapping, community audits, and youth engagement programmes.
2025: Launch of the Awareness-Raising Project (2025–2026) in partnership with UNESCO, targeting traditional leaders, educators, and local councils.
These milestones trace Zimbabwe’s evolution from protecting built heritage to recognizing the urgent need to preserve living traditions before they fade.
4. Zimbabwe’s Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Comprehensive Overview
Zimbabwe’s ICH reflects its ethnic diversity, ecological variety, and historical depth:
1. Music & Instruments
o Mbira/Sansi: “Thumb pianos” used in spiritual ceremonies and storytelling.
o Drum traditions: From the Ndebele ingoma drum ensembles to Tonga rain-calling rhythms.
2. Dance Forms
o Mbende Jerusarema: High-energy pelvic dance of the Zezuru people, symbolizing communal resilience.
o Isitshikitsha: Ndebele foot-stamping dances at weddings and harvest festivals.
3. Oral Traditions & Storytelling
o Mbudzi narratives: Folktales featuring the clever ram (“mbudzi”) impart moral lessons.
o Praise poetry (izibongo & madanangawo): Recitations extolling chiefs, heroes, and lineage.
4. Social Practices & Rituals
o Rain-making ceremonies: Pilgrimages to Matobo Hills, led by spirit mediums invoking ancestral rains.
o Rites of passage: Shona initiation (“graveside rituals”) and Ndebele “gudo” puberty rites.
5. Traditional Knowledge Systems
o Ethnobotany: Use of indigenous flora—msasa, mukura—for medicine and cosmic harmony.
o Totemic kinship: Animal- and plant-based clan identities guiding dietary taboos and conservation.
6. Craftsmanship & Material Culture
o Basket weaving: Makwe baskets of Masvingo, famed for geometric patterns and resilience.
o Textile arts: Shweshwe cloth adaptations and hand-woven mbira covers.
Each element is sustained by Knowledge Bearers—elders, spirit mediums, artisans—whose mentorship and apprenticeship programmes form the backbone of intergenerational transmission.
5. Community Engagement & Education
A core tenet of the 2025–2026 initiative is integrating ICH into daily life:
Heritage-Based Curriculum: Pilot modules in primary and secondary schools teaching local dances, songs, and crafts.
Community Archives: Support for village-level audio-visual documentation, preserving dialects and oral histories.
Cultural Festivals: District-wide events featuring Mbira jamborees, Jerusarema showcases, and storytelling marathons.
Traditional Leadership Forums: Workshops for chiefs and headmen on legal protections and rights under the 2003 Convention.
By embedding heritage into classrooms and community centres, Zimbabwe aims to combat rural-urban drift and kindle youth pride in ancestral roots.
6. Comparative Perspective: Regional and Global Initiatives
Zimbabwe’s strategy aligns with—and often leads—similar programmes across Southern Africa:
Country
UNESCO ICH Inscriptions
Key Initiatives
Zambia
Makishi masquerade (2021)
Province-led festivals; school outreach in Luapula
Mozambique
Timbila music (2019), Nyau dance (2008)
Mobile ICH units; radio programmes in Makua languages
South Africa
Isicathamiya music (2008)
National Heritage Council grants; community-run academies
Botswana
Tsutsube dance (pending)
Draft national ICH policy; heritage mapping pilot
Namibia
Oshituthi/Shikatembwa dance (2014)
Cross-border ICH in education; UNESCO-funded surveys
Zimbabwe’s two inscriptions, combined with a nationwide preservation drive, position it as a model for mid-sized heritage agencies balancing limited budgets with expansive cultural landscapes.
7. Threats and Challenges
Despite progress, Zimbabwe’s ICH faces multiple pressures:
Globalization & Media: Western pop culture eclipsing local music and dance.
Urbanization: Rural exodus dilutes community-based practices, especially in peri-urban Harare.
Economic Hardship: Artisans and performers often juggle survival work, limiting time for heritage transmission.
Language Loss: Decline in smaller dialects (Tonga, Shangaan) reduces oral tradition diversity.
Climate Change: Erratic rainfall and drought disrupt agricultural rituals and harvest festivals.
Addressing these requires multisectoral collaboration, from tourism boards to telecom operators, ensuring ICH remains both viable and visible.
8. Digital Safeguarding & Innovation
Harnessing technology amplifies heritage reach:
Virtual Heritage Atlas: An interactive map of ICH sites, events, and repositories.
Mobile Story Apps: Audio-narrated folktales in Shona, Ndebele, and minority languages.
Digital Dance Archives: High-definition recordings of Jerusarema troupes, annotated by culture bearers.
Online Craft Marketplaces: E-commerce platforms selling baskets, mbira, and beadwork directly from artisans.
These digital tools not only preserve practices but also create revenue streams, incentivizing custodianship among younger generations.
9. Timeline: Pillars of Zimbabwe’s ICH Safeguarding
Year
Milestone
1985
National Museums and Monuments Act establishes heritage protection framework
2003
UNESCO Convention for ICH adopted by Member States
2006
Zimbabwe ratifies ICH Convention
2008
Mbende Jerusarema dance inscribed on UNESCO ICH List
2010
Mbira/Sansi craftsmanship and playing inscribed
2013
Submission of first periodic ICH report
2022
National Cultural Policy updated to mainstream ICH mapping
2025
Launch of Joint Zimbabwe-UNESCO ICH Safeguarding Initiative
2026
Completion of community audits and heritage-education rollout
10. Charting a Sustainable Future
Zimbabwe’s 2025–2026 initiative represents a watershed moment—transforming policy into practice, and reactive conservation into proactive celebration. By weaving ICH into education, leveraging digital innovation, and forging regional partnerships, the country is crafting a blueprint for living heritage resilience. The success of this programme will not only safeguard Mbira tunes and Jerusarema beats but will affirm Zimbabwe’s cultural sovereignty and inspire emerging stewards of its ancestral legacy.
