By Staff Reporter
Lusaka, Zambia – Zambian political figure and Pan-African advocate, Joseph Kalimbwe, has publicly condemned what he described as “sickening” treatment of fellow African nationals by officers within the Zambian Immigration Department, calling it a betrayal of Zambia’s founding principles and Pan-African solidarity.
In a strongly worded statement shared on social media, Kalimbwe recounted the experience of a Kenyan national who was allegedly arrested and detained for months at Lusaka Central Police on accusations of possessing a fake Kenyan passport, despite having obtained the document from the official Home Office in Nairobi.
“The way some of our Zambian Immigration Department officers treat black people from other African countries is sickening. They never do that to Chinese and Indians,” Kalimbwe wrote.
He warned that such mistreatment not only violates human rights but also damages Zambia’s international image.
“Few officers are tarnishing the name of our country. It’s a disgrace; it doesn’t represent the values and ethos upon which our country was founded,” he said.
Kalimbwe’s comments reignite longstanding concerns over racial disparities in immigration enforcement across Southern Africa, especially in countries like South Africa in the region.
While many African migrants face rigid scrutiny, arrests, and sometimes indefinite detention, foreign nationals from China, India and the West, often appear to receive more lenient treatment, an imbalance critics say reflects structural bias within institutions.
Kalimbwe, who has been a vocal advocate for youth engagement and Pan-African unity, contrasted the treatment of Kenyans in Zambia with the generally poor labor practices some Chinese and Indian employers are accused of perpetrating against local workers.
“Unlike the Chinese and Indians, Kenyans who live in our country don’t humiliate Zambian workers with low pays and mistreatment.
“We must treat them with the very love they do unto us,” he said.
Drawing from his own travels, Kalimbwe praised Kenyan culture and hospitality, referencing his visits to Nairobi’s Kibera and Runda neighborhoods and his friendships formed through the Pan-African Parliament.
His remarks come at a time when regional leaders are calling for greater African integration under frameworks like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which envisions easier movement of goods and people across borders.
Such aspirations, however, remain undercut by reports of xenophobia, discrimination, and abuse faced by African migrants within African states.
“We must reflect deeply on how we treat our African brothers and sisters. Pan-Africanism must not just be a slogan. It must live in our actions,” Kalimbwe said.
