Dear editor,
THE circulation of a purported memo from one of the hotels in Guangzhou China directing that no African guests should be accommodated from July 6, 2018 made very sad reading in this age and era.But it did not come as a surprise because this sort of discrimination against Africans in Guangzhou has been going on for some time now.
Just this year alone, I have been to China Guanzhou twice.
Things have really changed for the worst for Africans in Guangzhou. An African can no longer go to places like nightclubs or pubs without a passport.
We got turned away by three pubs in one night saying they were full, yet Chinese and other races got admitted.
The local officials are seriously trying to flush out the illegal African immigrants, more especially those from West Africa, and inconveniencing business owners with strict rules on how to deal with Africans.
To avoid dealing with bundles of documentation for admission of Africans, most service places have simply resorted to turning Africans away.
It is indeed a shame because every African is being treated the same way regardless of the country they come from and their status.
We, therefore, implore our Zambian government leadership to seek clarity from the Chinese ambassador in Zambia on this discrimination that has been going on in Guangzhou before it becomes impossible for Zambian business people to freely go there to do business.
Further, we do believe and appreciate that there is no reason to defend and tolerate discrimination in any form in the 21st century.
KUMBUKILANI PHIRI
Lusaka