Daniel Chisenga, Zambian consul general in Guangzhou. [Photo/SilkRoadPost]

In an interview on April 23, Zambian consul general in Guangzhou Daniel Chisenga discussed the treatment of Zambians in Guangzhou, noting that, "No Zambians were reported to my office of being evicted from their apartments or hotels."

"We may have had cases of a communication barrier leading to some discomfort for a Zambian family in Nansha but it was quickly resolved," he added.

Chisenga said that some online videos allegedly showing discrimination against Zambians in Guangzhou were exaggerated and that they were based on misunderstandings.

"From [some videos on] social media and other channels, people misunderstood the whole thing," he said. "Since I came to Guangzhou, I've seen that lots of Chinese people are very friendly."

The consul general added that he believes that the measures the Guangzhou government has taken to control the novel coronavirus (COVID) are good, although some miscommunication has gotten in the way and created confusion. 

"As a black community, we are a small group of people," he said. "We go to the same restaurant and the same market. When you are in a small plaza, the virus can easily reach all people if measures are not put in place. The steps that the government took is to make sure that it was controlled within the African communities, because many people could have passed the virus to other African friends in the same plaza and the virus can go beyond the plaza."

The consul general displays an article published on the website of Lusaka Times, a local newspaper in the Republic of Zambia, to reporters. [Photo/SilkRoadPost]

The moves taken by the government are for the good of all, he said, but the way they are communicated sometimes "creates misunderstandings and led to some Chinese friends to think that black people are carrying the virus and are dangerous."

Chisenga added that some landlords took advantage of the rumors to make things difficult for African tenants.

He said that he is happy that the Guangdong provincial government and foreign affairs office have intervened and solved the problems.

"The government is taking steps to tell local people to accept black people in places like shopping malls," the consul general said. "They have done a very commendable job. We call upon all our African friends to support them because they are listening to whatever complaints we have and are trying their best to clear up problems. A good communication [mechanism] has been established. We have no pending cases right now.”

"We believe that in any friendship, friends have misunderstandings," he added. "When there's a misunderstanding, it's important for the two friends to sit down and see what the problem is. Once the problem is solved, we are making progress."

Chisenga said that Zambian people have been standing in solidarity with Chinese people from January when the COVID-19 outbreak began. "That's what friends are for, in good or bad times," he said.

According to Chisenga, about 70 Zambian nationals live in Guangzhou, including businessmen, students, diplomats, and their families. Now, most of them have returned to Africa. The visas of a few Zambians expired and the foreign affairs office has helped with their extensions.

While number of COVID-19 cases in China has been reducing, the numbers are still high in the rest of the world, including Zambia. Chisenga said that back in Africa, his country had two cases about a month ago and now they have over 70 cases, of which three people had died.

"China responded quickly with the Jack Ma Foundation, and we have also received donations from a private company in Dongguan, as well as some shipping companies that are doing business with us," Chisenga said.

He added that COVID-19 is a global pandemic and countries need to come together to fight the virus. Chisenga said that he is appealing to the Guangdong provincial government and Guangzhou municipal government to see if more help can be contributed to aid the fight against the virus in his country. 

As for business activities between China and Zambia, the consul general said that a number of Zambian businessmen participate in the Canton Fair every year. “It's good to see the Canton Fair move online,” he added, “as many Zambian people are not able to travel internationally during this period.”

"The Canton Fair is something they look forward to participating in every year," he said. "But more publicity and more information about the online platform is needed. Many people don't know about this."

When discussing his life in Guangzhou since he took the post last year, Chisenga said that the city is a good place to stay. "Guangzhou is a beautiful city, with many tourist attractions and convenient transportation," he said. "We can also easily find African food here."