Zimbabwe has its racists too: iLIVE

Just because the owner of the lodge where a black woman was turned away ('Sorry, Whites Only', February 28) grew up in Zimbabwe doesn't mean he can't be a racist.

I live in Bulawayo Zimbabwe where we have a pub, Time Bar, that hides its racism behind a membership policy. Twice I've been refused entry on this basis and when I pressed the bouncers on why they said the Manager, name given as Peter, is the one who decides who comes in.

However, on both occasions as we were barred from entering, numerous white people strolled in, some of whom I know. When I met one of them, an engineer who's working on a project for me, I asked him about Time's membership. He had no idea there was such a policy and neither did any of his friends.

On another occasion I went there with white friends and had no problem going in. 30 minutes later I was physically thrown out and told "you're not the kind of people we want here, you know what you did" with no further explanation.

Now we Zimbabweans are a patient and forgiving folk and I haven't been back there since but I told everyone about this and found out others have similar stories. I don't need to fight someone to drink their beer as there are many other places where I and my fellow blacks are welcome but this practice has to end.