In China, some blacks have been evicted from their rented
dwellings, denied entry into restaurants, hospitals and other places. African
ambassadors have protested over the racial tensions, saying the Chinese
government should control some of its citizens that strongly believe that
coronavirus is spread by black people. The southern industrial city of
Gaungzhou, a popular place visited by thousands of African entrepernuers per
year, has become the epicenter of racial tensions. It’s unclear if there have
been any Zimbabweans caught up in these issues. Ms. Samantha Sibanda, a
Zimbabwean teacher now living in Beijing, says not all conflicts being
displayed on social media and other platforms are racially motivated as some
blacks from Africa are resisting being tested for COVID-19, fearing that they
may be part of research being conducted to find a coronavirus vaccine. VOA
Zimbabwe Service’s Gibbs Dube speaks with Sibanda on this and other issues.
Gibbs Dube (GD): Samantha, we’ve seen that there are these
reports of racism and, you know, some kind of, you know, the violation of some
black’s rights in China. What is going on as far as you are concerned?
Samantha (SS): It's a very complicated issue that you're
talking about, and we have to actually look at it in the different angles for
us to be able to get the answer that we want. I know social media has taken
this up and just kind of blown it out of proportion, really. That's, that's my
thought and that's my opinion. I think the situation has really really been blown
out of proportion. And it's not supposed to be that way, I think. And I feel
people are really lacking context on this issue. It's just like, know when you
see something posted on Facebook, before you share it, you also put your
comments and stuff and you share.
The next person takes it in their own way and stuff like
that. And I think this is what's been happening. And the other thing that I
want to say is if we, if we kind of look at what's been going on, I think the
world has been angry with China because of the coronavirus. Remember when it
started, people were also saying it was a Chinese virus, it came from China.
And so people already had that anger in them and all they didn't inform us. So
they did, they did do this, and when the issue of Africans came in, it was also
more like you know, seeing some other stuff. If you want to look at Africans
themselves, you know in the previous weeks we had these French doctors who have
been saying they want to test this (vaccine) on Africans.
GD: So, are you saying that the Africans were actually
scared about, you know…
SS: The Africans in their heads, it’s because of what they
were seeing, that the French doctors are saying they want to test (vaccines) on
Africans and so the Chinese wanted to test (vaccines on) the Africans, in their
heads, they were like, hello, are we being guinea pigs now? So there was fear
of, you know, that based on what they were hearing. And also on the other
hand…just to cut things short, this was a misunderstanding that people blew out
of proportion.
GD: But we've been seeing on social media, some people like
there's this lady who was going to seek some kind of help from the hospital
when … she looked pregnant, but then was turned away. So then, we’ve got other
issues where we see some Africans on the streets, you know all those kind of
things. Can you call that fiction or it’s happening, right?
SS: That's what I'm saying, That you have to use your eyes,
ou know, you have to use lenses that are wide open. I will also want to tell
people that, I mean, the issues of racial discrimination or the issues of
Africans being not treated well in China, these are issues that have been going
on for years. There's nothing new really, you know. This has been going on for
a long time. So I'm actually wondering why people are like, oh, you know, this
has been going on. And I think now what has made it like what I'm saying, what
is made it really kind of maybe, gain prominence, is the fact that there is
this coronavirus, the fact that people have nothing to do, the fact that, you
know we've got so much to say. There’s social media and this is what’s
happening. But I want to say that both sides, China and Africa, were wrong.
GD: So we see that in Guangzhou, or am I pronouncing it
properly, there is a market or markets for Africans and they went there …there
were some issues, right? Tell us the issues.
SS: Just to give people context, isn’t you know that we've
been in quarantine in China. This is our 13th week, quarantined. And Guangzhou
is actually China's manufacturing city. And Africans go there to buy clothes,
to buy equipment, building materials and stuff. So…and Guangzhou has the
largest number of Africans actually in China. Basically, most of them being
their own business and some of them being victims of human trafficking and
stuff. So there is a mixture of Africans who are business people, victims and
criminals, and this is the truth.
There is a mixture of such African people, in Guangzhou. So
what happened here was the Chinese, like I say, is slowly getting back to
business now and it's opening some shops and businesses. And they are African
people who came from home, Africa, to China, and arrived in March, around 20
March, And they were coming for business, you know, to buy whatever their
stuff. And they were told to go on quarantine for 14 days. And during those
days, they were being tested like, you know, having their temperatures checked
every day. But then towards the end of their quarantine period, they realized
that some of them were now showing signs of having coronavirus, which then led
to them being asked to go for testing. Now this is where the issue started,
when they were being asked to go for testing.
Some then thought to, you know what? The French doctors
said they want to wipe out the African population. So now was resistance of
like, no, we are not taking the test. Yes. So this is where the whole thing
started off, some. And their resistance was also based on fear of saying, is
this the real test or now I'm being a guinea pig. Right. So. And then those who
agreed to be tested, they got tested, but then, for those who were tested, they
also found that amongst those Africans, yes, some were positive with corona.
Yes. Now, I want people to get this point, because this is the most important
point that this whole thing is about and that I want the world to know. Now,
imagine that these people have been locked up for 13 weeks. They also have children.
They also have businesses. They are parents. They are daughters and stuff. They
have been home. And then compare with us. We are failing to even quarantine
ourselves for a week.
Now you've got an African who's been tested positive and
decides to run away and get into the crowd. Now, what would you do? Because
it's not about being African. This is about the health and the well-being of
everyone. You've got someone who is positive and is now out there. Why would
you do? So, this has nothing to do with race. I need people to really
understand because you and me, I think even you, let's say you've now gone back
to business today. You are here at the studio and say this 13 weeks I've been
closed up in my house. Now I'm starting to do my business. And then you hear a
black person, an African person is positive and is running around. If they come
knocking at your door, will you open the door? Let’s forget about race for one
minute. You open the door!
GB: That sounds scary. But then and when you take the
matter further, you see that there are some people who are being evicted, who
were actually evicted from their dwellings?
SS: It’s because they were refusing testing. Guys, listen
to this. You know what? I am African and I'm very proud. And the organization
that I have stands for the rights of African people. But what I want to say to
my people, if we are wrong, sometimes we have to accept responsibilities We
have to accept where we are wrong and not tolerate and not hide behind racial
discrimination. I will tell you this, there are issues here of course, Chinese
people have treated us so bad. But what would you do with people whom you know,
OK, they are not even one now. So many of them are testing positive. They are
positive. OK. They're scared. Yes, because in their minds, maybe they're being
sent for tests - they don't want ... We've been on lockdown for a long time. We
also want to go back to work. So do you want them to save you? Let's look at
that. Now, yes, this is where the trick is. And then the second issue is one
thing you have to know, this is the truth, and I know maybe people will shout
at me and whatever that I'm not standing with African.
So many Africans my brothers, have no (immigration) papers.
They have no papers. If I tell you, so many Africans have killed themselves
just running away from the police. The police knock at their door, they jump
out the window. They’d rather jump off seventh floor, tenth floor running away,
than be deported. Yes.
GB: So, that's the other thing, that maybe they are scared
that if they go to the polcie and you're sick and they say show us your
passport? That becomes an issue, right?
SS: Yes. So these are things that people are not even also
thinking about. Let's also not just say… just for making stories. But the issue
here is, course, there were people who were tested. And now because of the few
people who are running away, positive, few people who are refusing to be
tested. Now you are refusing to be tested. Please, we all know China has the
largest population in the world. So imagine if they and they've done their best
to try and control it. Now imagine, these cases are imported. These are cases
that are coming from outside. So that means that they're going to start that
thing all over again.
GB: It seems as if there are also some Chinese that are
coming from Italy, Russia, Portugal and so forth. And now we're seeing an
upsurge in cases of coronavirus. So is that the case with what is happening in
Guangzhou?
SS: I don't know about the Chinese cases elsewhere. I’m not
really sure, but what I would say is of course, in Guangzhou, being the
manufacturing city, like I said, because when it started getting back to
business, business people actually rely on buying stuff for their boutiques,
for their companies. They are also now coming into China.
GD: The other question people are asking you is how many
months you have been under isolation or quarantine and what has it been like.
Can you tell Zimbabweans that kind of story?
SS: This is our 13th week. 13 weeks. Yeah.
GB: How has it been?
SS: It's been very tough, I’ll tell you, it's been really
really tough even for me personally. The first week I couldn't understand what
was going on and the way they did it here, it was more hard than it is, you
know, all over the world, because all over the world they're saying it's shut
down, but they're still allowing people to go around. Here when they started
the shut down, you know it was lockdown, as in lockdown. You could not go
anywhere. You were not allowed to go anywhere. Our relatives could not allowed
to even come and visit.
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