Zambia's new Chinese police officers removed after outcry

[Hamartia Antidote]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-42413330

Image copyrightMWEBANTU MEDIA
Image captionThe Chinese police officers were commissioned on Monday

Zambia's police force has scrapped plans to employ eight Chinese nationals barely 24 hours after it unveiled the scheme, following a public outcry.

The new reservists were commissioned in the capital, Lusaka, on Monday.

But the decision prompted widespread anger, especially in light of a ruling taken earlier this year that bans police officers from marrying foreigners for "security reasons".

Not even Zambians with dual-nationality are allowed to join the police.

• Africa Live: Read more on this and other stories
• Zambian police banned from marrying foreigners

Dickson Jere, a lawyer and former presidential spokesman, said the constitution was clear on the matter.

He told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme that the entire incident was an "insult" - to others in the police, but also other Zambians.

"When we see a uniform of the police, it signifies our identity. It signifies our sovereignty," Mr Jere said. "How would we be feeling to see a police officer and be saluting a Chinese [national] in our own country?"

The appointment of the Chinese reservists had left many other people scratching their heads particularly as the government had previously removed other nationals from the security services, journalist Kennedy Gondwe reports from Lusaka.

That move had been prompted because there was a feeling that foreigners were infiltrating, he says

Suspicions over the recent recruitment were bolstered by distrust towards the Chinese community in Zambia, which was estimated to number about 20,000 in 2015, according to the privately owned Lusaka Times.

But the part-time officers are not thought to be have been going to perform any special role liaising with Zambia's Chinese community.

Police spokeswoman Esther Mwata-Katongo had said they would just assist regular officers.

"We had Indians who were police reserves and people were OK with it. Why should the Chinese be discriminated on race?" the Lusaka Times quoted her as saying.

But the police have since backed down from their position - with the caveat the officers' appointment broke no laws

 

[alphaxyz]

 

[nang2]

"We had Indians who were police reserves and people were OK with it. Why should the Chinese be discriminated on race?" the Lusaka Times quoted her as saying.

I guess it is probably due to the skin color. Chinese are just too white to blend in.

 

[Kuru]

I guess it is probably due to the skin color. Chinese are just too white to blend in.

May be it is probably due to the size of the eyes? May be you require decent eyes to be a cop in Africa. That's also a possibility.

See? I can also post an idiotic comment. But still, you win the prize

Note: All Chinese members, please ignore my post. No offense to anyone.

 

[Sharky]

I guess it is probably due to the skin color. Chinese are just too white to blend in.

You mean yellow. Too yellow to follow.

 

[nang2]

May be it is probably due to the size of the eyes? May be you require decent eyes to be a cop in Africa. That's also a possibility.

See? I can also post an idiotic comment. But still, you win the prize

Note: All Chinese members, please ignore my post. No offense to anyone.

Yes, I just called your comment idiotic but please ignore me. No offense to anyone.

You mean yellow. Too yellow to follow.

Or too light colored if the word "white" is offending to you.

 

[Sharky]

Yes, I just called your comment idiotic but please ignore me. No offense to anyone.


Or too light colored if the word "white" is offending to you.

Not white.. It's yellow. That's how Chinese are portrayed. Why you hate your colour? Why you want to be white man? Self loathing?

 

[nang2]

Not white.. It's yellow. That's how Chinese are portrayed. Why you hate your colour? Why you want to be white man? Self loathing?

Don't try to put your word into my mouth. When I said "white", it doesn't mean white people as a race but a lazy expression for light color. If you want to make it a racial discussion, go ahead but I am not a part of it.

 

[KapitaanAli]

Indian community in Zambia is different from most other Indian communities in Africa. They started off as traders.
They're also significantly Indian Muslims.

 

[denel]

Indian community in Zambia is different from most other Indian communities in Africa. They started off as traders.
They're also significantly Indian Muslims.

View attachment 443832 View attachment 443833

Most are 3rd of 4th generation there. 2nd forex used in Zambia is Yuan and Bank of China also has a presence to directly convert to kwacha/yuan.

Let us get one thing clear - Indians is recent terminology as there were many expat who came there to work for the government. But local's are known as Asians; their forefathers' may have roots there but that was about it.

It is a matter of rules. To join the police force, you must be a local citizen and not even a dual citizen whose parents were zambians. The later was rubbish ploy to get Kaunda out despite the fact that Zambia did not exist when his parents were around but rather Nyasaland.

A friend of mine is Asian and works in the Lusaka police force.

 

[U-571]

africa is fast becoming colony of china, and i suspect the very next number is pakistan in near future.

when i see chinese trains in africa, i see a glimpse of british rails in their colonies and how they spread network of railroads across their colonies when they colonised it

its an irony that poor political situation in africa is led to its exploitation for its entire history. the bad political situation and weak govt is always followed by colonisation, india was colonised due to weak mughal empire and pakistan is getting colonised due to absence of civilian government. the dictators of africa are giving free hand to the chinese as is pak military for their limited personal gains.

africans must learn from this otherwise they will keep getting exploited.

instead of colonising other countries, china has entire western land area free to populate, instead of sending their people in ;chinese colonies'

it will achieve nothing, the colonie will beat shiit out of them just like they did with europeans in the end.

 

[denel]

africa is fast becoming colony of china, and i suspect the very next number is pakistan in near future.

when i see chinese trains in africa, i see a glimpse of british rails in their colonies and how they spread network of railroads across their colonies when they colonised it

its an irony that poor political situation in africa is led to its exploitation for its entire history. the bad political situation and weak govt is always followed by colonisation, india was colonised due to weak mughal empire and pakistan is getting colonised due to absence of civilian government. the dictators of africa are giving free hand to the chinese as is pak military for their limited personal gains.

africans must learn from this otherwise they will keep getting exploited.

instead of colonising other countries, china has entire western land area free to populate, instead of sending their people in ;chinese colonies'

it will achieve nothing, the colonie will beat shiit out of them just like they did with europeans in the end.

Regretfully that has been the history. But there is a difference here with the chinese. The infrastructure has been instrumental and much valued unlike the colonial times. Just take Tazara which I have had the fortune of travelling on a few times; it was one of the first projects in this region when noone would do it. China came in and provided the lifeline to Zambia and it is till running today as a conduit for import/exports from Dar.
There needs to be a check and balances otherwise as you state it becomes a grab all game. For example, hundreds were rounded up in Gaborone.... all these traders had forged a single valid visa and changed the photos only but Chinese ambassador showed up and had them released. While many have assisted local enterprises but others have been ruthlessly exploiting. Same goes for nigerians in this part of the world and others coming to SADC region.

 

[SleeveofWizard]

I guess it is probably due to the skin color. Chinese are just too white to blend in.

Actually they are too short and skinny to blend in. It's good that they were removed. A single Zambian could have taken on 4 Chinese policemen.

Not white.. It's yellow. That's how Chinese are portrayed. Why you hate your colour? Why you want to be white man? Self loathing?

They do, a huge number of them take to plastic surgeries to get rid of the asian look. Average white tourists travelling to China randomly get offers for Television shows

 

[Śakra]

Not white.. It's yellow. That's how Chinese are portrayed. Why you hate your colour? Why you want to be white man? Self loathing?

Have you ever ver watched their cartoons. In their mind they are round eyed, white skin, sharp nose with eyes and hair that come in other colours besides black. This is how they think of themselves.