This archive report was first published on 22 May 2020.
On May 22, 2020, a disturbing incident occurred in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, where a Zambian national and his wife visited a Chinese-owned supermarket.
While the wife was allowed to enter the store, the husband was told to wait outside, sparking questions about the treatment of Africans by Chinese nationals in Africa.
According to reports, the couple contacted a local journalist who accompanied them to the store, and it was discovered that the store had a policy of barring Africans from entering due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This incident has raised concerns about the treatment of Africans by Chinese nationals in Africa, particularly in the wake of recent incidents where African nationals have been evicted from their apartments in China, accused of transmitting the COVID-19 virus.
One such incident involved a Kenyan mother who was locked out of her apartment in China and was forced to stand at a bus station with her baby, refusing to board any buses that passed by.
These incidents have sparked anger across the continent, with many viewing Chinese nationals as racists who are no better than other nationals who have had a bad relationship with Africans, particularly in the context of slavery.