The Xenophobic attacks on foreigners, including Nigerians in South Africa has continued to receive condemnation from Nigerians and the international community. The world watched in disbelief and horror as gangs of weapons-wielding youth descended on hapless foreigners, sadistically killing, brutalizing them, and destroying their property.
MIGRATION is as old as time itself. Human beings have overtime moved from place to place, in search of greener pasture. To a huge extent migration is a voluntary act, while in other cases, it can be prompted by unleveled economic conditions, and on account of insurgency, war etc.
According to South Africa’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Zulu Mguni, there are between 800,000 to1 million Nigerians in various parts of South Africa. This population grew over the years, evidently due to the pressing search for a better living standards When an immigrant doesn’t violate the law of his host country, he therefore has the right to feel human and be accepted,. This ultimately is neatly against the menace of xenophobia.
According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Xenophobia is a strong feeling of dislike or fear of people from other countries”. However, such feeling and attitude can arouse the feeling of violence in the hearts of such persons, which of course may deter the freedom of the immigrants.
Sad as it is, this term xenophobia is becoming a ‘clitche’, even on the lips of a touting infant, following the recent attacks of South Africans on people from other African countries like Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Bangladesh, Nigeria and so on.
These Africans in South Africa (Nigerians included) have become victims of torture and dehumanization, with numbers of death being recorded.
The screaming diabolism is a result of a statement made on March 28 2015 by Zulu King; Goodwill Zwelethinni, in his speech, immigrants “must pack up and leave the country,” a statement he later denied and accused journalist of unfair manipulation.
Against the unjustifiable claim that foreigners came to ‘steal their jobs,’ findings have it that about 82 percent of ‘properly employed people in South Africa are non foreigners.
An attempt to evacuate non citizens from South Africa is like showing the world that she can live in isolation, a case which late Nelson Mandela would have frowned at.
Purging foreigners out of any country therefore breaks peaceful tides which the country shares with sister countries, it amputates the strength of international trade and business establishment.
In reaction to this, South Africa has received a backlash from international communities.
Again , National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) has threatened to close down South African investments like, Shoprites, Rand Merchant Bank, telecommunication giant; MTN, if the government does not do any thing to allay the menace of xenophobia in seven (7) days.
Recognizing the fact that their act has grave implications for peaceful international relations, South African’s President, Jacob Zuma has condemned the inhuman incidence and therefore assigned couple of cabinet ministers to work in Kwazulu Natal Province which includes Durban, in bringing the unrest to an end.
Human rights Lawyer, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (San), said the Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa should be recalled over the ongoing xenophobic attacks against foreigners.
Agbokaba, a renowned Maritime lawyer, in the statement condemned the attacks which had been ongoing, saying that the development could strain both countries relationship.
The Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa should be recalled; our foreign minister should summon the South African Commissioner in Nigeria to convey our disappointment with the behaviour of some South Africans.
The South African Government must know that the xenophobic behaviour of its people is not acceptable to Nigerians.
It will have the greatest consequences for Nigerian – South African relations; unless they stop their inexcusable behaviour,” the statement said.
It said that Nigerians condemned in the strongest possible terms the unwarranted and unprovoked attack on Nigerians in South Africa.
The statement said there could be no excuse for the outrageous behaviour, especially in the context of our relations between South Africa and Nigeria.
It quoted the maritime lawyer as saying that Nigeria’s support for South Africa toward their independence should not be rewarded with such treatment.
“Nigeria stood by their South African brothers and sisters at their greatest hour of need during the apartheid years and this is no way to repay us,” it said.
The statement expressed shock that President Jacob Zuma of South Africa had not made a clear statement, adding that the Nigerian government’s response should be stronger.
On his part president Zuma said he is shocked with the events of the past few days which had left the country embarrassed and without answers in the face of world condemnation.
“What are we telling the world about us?” he asked rhetorically.
“We went into these countries without a single documentation, stayed there and were welcome with open arms because they saw us as one of them”.
In fact they treated us as their own brothers and sisters”.
“We must learn to be friendly to our African brothers and, in fact, everyone from this world”.
Nigerian youths under the aegis of Nigerians Demand, took to the streets on Tuesday of Abuja and cordoned the entrance leading to the South African High Commission in Wuse District, protesting the unwarranted attacks and killings of Nigerians.
Some of the protesters, who marched in different groups chanted anti-xenophobic songs and displayed placard, with different inscriptions that read: “Dear South Africa, we have loved you but you are attacking and killing us why? Say no to xenophobia; stop killings in South Africa, Act now; we are Africans; foreigners are not responsible for your joblessness, stop the killings; say no to xenophobia, on Friday 13, 1976 Nigeria donated $2 million to ANC to assist its liberation movement, say no to xenophobia; say no to killings of Nigerians in South Africa,” among others.
Addressing the crowd. Co-ordinator of a group, Mr. Deji Adeyanju expressed disappointment over the attacks and the lackadaisical manner it is being handled by the South Africa Government and urged the High Commissioner to expedite action in bringing the situation under control.
His words: “We are sad that South Africans, who other Africans stood by during their times of challenge, are showing hate to other African countries.
South African government is aiding the killings. We want them to prosecute the traditional ruler who instigated the killings. We are not happy, we want to know steps that are being taken to stop this.
“Never in history have we attacked South African business. We don’t see reasons to do competition with South Africa. We don’t know where the hate is coming from.
We have seen shops being looted, we have also discovered that those who are looting the shops have police protection and they are happy that foreigners are leaving South Africa.
“We have spoken with some of our friends and they have told us that they have seen a situation where South Africans are happy and excited that they are leaving. For us, this calls for serious concern because South African corporations and multi-nationals are here, doing their business and thriving very well.
“We see that this is very sad because Nigerians in social media are already urging us to retaliate, but we don’t want this idea because we do not want South Africans to be attacked or killed in Nigeria but we want a situation where the South African government will take action. Let them take a definite action, do sensitization programme for their people. Let them reach out to the traditional rulers in South Africa because this crisis was caused by a traditional ruler.
“We want a situation where the South African government takes adequate action. We are not leaving here until we speak to the High Commissioner. We are here for a very peaceful protest, we will not cause any trouble but we do not want Nigerians to take the laws into their hands. We have asked them not to attack South Africans or their businesses.
“All we want to show is for South Africans to know that Nigerians are very unhappy over what is happening. We also want to use this opportunity to tell the Nigerian government to do more, so that they can be on top of the situation because South Africans have become enemies to African people”.
Economic Community of West African states, ECOWAS, has also condemned the mayhem unleashed on foreign national, including Nigerians, by South African youths and asked government to bring the perpetrators to book to serve as deterrent to others.
Chairman of the Community and Ghanaian President, Mr. John Mahama, who spoke in Abuja during his commendation visit to Nigeria on peaceful elections, said it was regrettable that the present generation of South Africans have forgotten the roles played by Nigeria and African countries in general to liberate them from the clutches of apartheid.
The ECOWAS leader recalled that Nigeria particularly provided for the economic well-being of the country despite not being an immediate neighbour to it during the dark ages.
He added that South Africa owed the continent of Africa huge debt of gratitude for liberating it.
According to him, the government must fish out and bring the perpetrators of the act to justice even as he pledged ECOWAS’ cooperation to ensure that such ugly development does not occur again.
He said: “I think it is an issue that we are all worried about because of the specific circumstances of South Africa and it is most regrettable and most unfortunate.
“I think that the young people of South Africa must be told the history of their country. The whole of this continent stood behind South Africa. The whole of Africa stood behind South Africa to fight against Apartheid.
“I remember all of us, growing up as secondary school children, went on marches and were part of the African Youth command that boycotted classes.
“Indeed, several of the countries whose citizens were brutalized in South Africa are countries called front line states and harboured the freedom fighters of South Africa and gave them safe haven, gave them passports to be able to avoid the clutches of the Apartheid regime and even Nigeria.
“Nigeria, even though was not a neighbour of South Africa, was considered a frontline state because of economic contribution that Nigeria made that helped liberate South Africa from Apartheid. So, it is regrettable that the same people who fought against Apartheid are being attacked.
“The pictures we have seen are horrible. As ECOWAS, we have issued a statement condemning what is happening, and the unfortunate thing is that this is not the first time.
“It keeps flaring up and so while we are condemning this incidence we must work with the South African government to ensure that it will not happen again.
Free Movement
“We are trying to create an integrated continent where our people can move freely amongst our countries. This has not set a very good example for integration and especially for South Africa that has investments all over the countries in Africa.
