Editor,

I wish to react to Allan Brian Ssenyonga’s article, "When language, skin colour get us all talking” (Sunday Times, February 2).

I quite enjoy Ssenyonga’s pieces – good writing and good thinking. Regarding the issue of skin colour, you are totally right. I’ve only recently learnt this thing deeply shocks very many sensitive, non-racist foreigners when they come to Africa from other countries.

They don’t expect us Africans to give so much importance to variations of skin tone and are shocked when they discover it. It is encouraging that we are not alone in this: Chinese women spend more money on skin-whitening products than they spend on any other beauty products.

Paradoxically only the white-skinned foreigner will try to get darker by tanning in the sun for hours. But because there are many variations of white skin, just like of black skin, some of them will tan, while some will instead get ugly side effects!

Tuti Melasukate, Rwanda