Zambia closes Chinese restaurant for refusing to serve locals over Covid-19 fears

Authorities in Zambia have shut down a Chinese restaurant in the capital, Lusaka for reportedly refusing locals entry into the eatery. The Latian restaurant closed entry to blacks, allowing access to only Chinese for reasons related to the novel coronavirus.

It feared letting blacks in will lead to the spread of the scourge into the restaurant.

The discriminatory practice rattled Lusaka’s Mayor, Miles Sampa, who on Monday in the company of his director of health moved to close the restaurant indefinitely.

Speaking to journalists after the closure, Sampa bemoaned the actions of the Chinese eatery as sickening, adding that the decision to close down the facility was because they abrogated laws under the country’s Food and Health Act including trading without license and selling products labeled in Chinese instead of English.

The action of the Mayor followed a report by local television station Muvi TV describing how the restaurant allows entrance to Chinese and denying Blacks.

“We strongly reprimanded the owner a Mr. Tang on that malpractice as well. Apartheid finished a long time ago in Lusaka after Zambia gained Independence in 1964.

“We urge all residents of Lusaka to whistleblow on any business or trading place exhibiting unethical practices. We shall move in decisively with supersonic speed,” Sampa was quoted as saying.

Earlier this year, authorities in Nigeria also closed down a Chinese restaurant in Lagos over its discriminatory policy against Nigerians.

The Haufei Restaurant and Mall was shut down for refusing to serve Nigerians. It followed covert investigations at the facility by operatives of Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Committee (FCCPC) that found evidence of discrimination against Nigerian citizens.

Some Nigerians on social media were gobsmacked by the restaurant’s refusal to serve locals. 

The Punch reported of one Folabomi who had shared a video of herself in front of the eatery, saying: “So, my friends and I have been asked to leave this Chinese establishment, a restaurant o, simply because we are blacks. In Nigeria!”

“Our only option is to take out, but we cannot physically sit down and eat at the restaurant. As you can see, this has turned me to a crazy person. I don’t joke with my food,” she also wrote.