By Bongani Siziba and Dianah Chiyangwa
Johannesburg, SouthAfrica: As the world battles with COVID-19 pandemic, Africans living in China’s Guangzhou have become targets for discrimination and racist attacks after they were forcibly evicted from hotels and barred from public places.
The racists attacks have stirred outraged on the continent, with African Ambassadors based in China speaking out against the racist’s attacks. Some Africans in the Chinese city have said they are now living in the streets after they were evicted from hotels and other residencies. Video footage from China has shown Chinese nationals kicking Nigerians out of a hotel and seizing their passports. The abuse of the Nigerian national have led African officials to confront Chinese officials over the attacks and in a video that has gone viral, Nigeria Consul General Mr Cyril Anozie is seen rebuking Chinese officials.
A Zimbabwean citizen living in Guangzhou who preferred anomnity confirmed witnessing the attacks. “We are leaving in fear. We have seen some of our African friends being evicted from their hotels and they are now leaving in the streets “The Chinese forgets that this virus started in their country but we have never discriminated or laid blame on them “she said. She revealed that Africans in her case have been barred from visiting shops. “My friend is in prison for almost two months now; she did not commit any crime. As blacks we are not allowed to go to buy food in their shops or even use public transport” Another Zimbabwean living in China blamed officials from his own country for not intervening to protect them.
“The annoying part is that our government says we are safe here in China than back home, this is because they don’t talk to us and hear our plight, “said another Zimbabwean national who preferred to remain anonymous. Efforts to get a comment from the Zimbabwean Embassy in China were fruitless, as the country’s Ambassador to Beijing Martin Chedondo had not responded.
However Nigeria has been hailed for standing up for its citizens in China. In a meeting held by African community leaders in Guangzhou and the Chinese government, the Nigerians pushed for the evictions and racists attacks to end. Ghana has also spoken out strongly against the abuse of Africans and the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Mrs Shirley Ayorkor Botchway said; ‘I have summoned the Chinese ambassador to Ghana Me Shi Ting Wang to register my disappointment and calls his government to immediately address the situation and bring their officials to order “she said.
Kenya and Sierra Leone have raised similar concerns and pleaded with Chinese government for a comprehensive resolution on the matter. The African Union chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa and his counterpart at the Commission of AU, Moisa Assa Faki Mahamat has expressed dismay at the alleged racial stigma directed at Africans in China over COVID19 pandemic.
In his statement on Sunday, Mr Ramaphosa who is the President of the Republic of South Africa said forceful testing and quarantine of Africans for covid119 smacked an inhumane treatment which flew in the face of Africans otherwise good relations with the Asian economic giant.“Reports of these alleged actions are inconsistence with excellent relationship between China and Africa dating back during the decolonisation struggle in Africa, ‘said Ramaphosa.
Caption- Different citizens from all walks of lives gather outside the Union Building in Pretoria, to commemorate an annual event since 2006. This event serves a key platform to educate the general public about the diplomacy and South Africa’s policy. It brings together embassies accredited to South Africa as well as various South African stakeholders to showcase and promote cultural diplomacy through creative expressions, such as music, arts and global cuisine.
Pictures by Dianah Chiyangwa
