Africa has faced many difficulties since time immemorial, with numerous aggressions, thefts and plunders. If you pay attention, Africans are the only people in the world who are very welcoming to foreigners. They welcome everyone with fervor, but never receive the same treatment when they go elsewhere. Unfortunately, that’s just the way it is. Look at how we’re treated in India. Students are flogged, manhandled and threatened. Some even lost their lives. It’s incredible.
Look at how we’re treated in Lebanon. When we go there to work, many are thrown over buildings for refusing to comply with little things. But when we receive people from elsewhere, we’re always the first to be friendly, to welcome them. That’s how colonization came about. They came gently, talking about a change of mentality and spirituality. That’s where it all began.
The Chinese invade
There’s a very interesting situation, a video showing Chinese men refusing access to black men in a hairdressing salon. The Chinese have come to Africa, Zambia to be precise, and opened a hairdressing salon, but they only accept Chinese customers. It’s unbelievable and unacceptable that people can come to our country and treat us like this. We can’t do that in China. If a foreigner, especially an African, has a problem with a Chinese person, he’ll go to the police station and be arrested. But in Africa, when an African has a problem with a Lebanese, for example, the first thing we say is “what happened?” First you have to defend yourself. This is unacceptable.
A new way to colonize
There’s also this new form of colonization, gentle colonization. The Chinese kindly come with all their graces, they open businesses. But to test authority, they say only Chinese are allowed in. Gradually, this progresses until they open a Chinese-only shopping mall, then a Chinese-only city, as they did in Tanzania. In Tanzania, the Chinese signed a contract to improve a port, but the contract stipulated that only the Chinese had access to it. It was President Magufuli who came up with the story, criticizing the passivity of his predecessor.
Read more: Kenya’s president delivers a courageous speech for a free and respected Africa
Blacks are despised
What’s more, a black man once walked into a restaurant in China accompanied by his Chinese wife. He was refused access to the restaurant while his wife entered. Another recent video shows a battle between a black man and a Chinese man in an African mining center. If this video hadn’t been taken, no one would have believed it. It’s unacceptable for foreigners to leave their countries and treat you like this. These examples show just how badly black people are treated by foreigners, and the urgent need for action.
In Uganda, there was a similar situation with the Indians. They came to work and made money, but they refused to accept the local culture. They didn’t mix with the Ugandans. There were tensions and this led to radical action on the part of President Idi Amin, as the wealth produced within the country was sent back to India. While Ugandans in India were mistreated.
It’s important to be respected. We must react and not be afraid. To be truly respected, you need to establish reciprocity. This new form of colonization, although less brutal than that of the West, is unacceptable. It’s time to stand up and say no to this behavior. The South African system is worth adopting, as every foreign or local company has a black manager.
Totally inspired by Zack Mwekassa’s video
