THE world watched in horror at the violence in
South Africa, targeted at foreigners in several cities.
Gangs of weapons-wielding youth descended on
hapless foreigners, killing, maiming and destroying
their property. Shops and restaurants were looted,
and in most cases, these went on with law
enforcement agents seeming to derive some
pleasure from watching.
Many trace the violence to a statement credited to
the Zulu King, Goodwill Zwelithini, who called on
foreigners, who he blamed for the high crime rates
and unemployment among South Africans, to leave.
Nigerians were a sizeable proportion of the attacked
foreigners. No death was reported, but they
suffered great losses – their businesses were
targets.
Many were injured. These attacks have
been regular since 2008, the only difference each
time is the increasing intensity.
They are unofficial, but the official South African
attitude to Nigerians is not much different.
The
repatriation of 124 Nigerians in March 2012 over
alleged forged immunisation cards is one. There
were sufficient grounds to believe that the
Nigerians suffered that fate because they travelled
on a Nigerian carrier.
Only months ago, South Africa
botched an arms deal with Nigeria and made
headlines out of it.
Nigerians are angry about the vehemence and
barbarity with which South Africans attack fellow
Africans even when it is obvious that there is live
television coverage of the attacks. If anything, the
unwillingness of the police to act, assures the
attackers that they would be immune from
punishment.
We recall Nigerian contributions,
officially, and individually to the liberation of South
Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Angola.
The
contributions were diplomatic, financial and
extended to scholarships and training for their
students.
Since the collapse of apartheid, South Africa
businesses have flourished in Nigeria, exploiting
Nigerians, paying minimal wages, and repatriating
hefty profits annually. Nigerians know these,
including humiliation they face when they apply for
South African visas while nationals of countries that
supported apartheid require no visa to enter South
Africa.
Why are South Africans so hostile to Nigerians? We
think it is in the interest of both countries to find out.
The excuses about unemployment and crimes are
speculations, especially when the menial jobs other
Africans do would not appeal to South Africans and
crime statistics do not support the crime claim.
No reason justifies the attacks. We commend the
patience of Nigerians who protested, instead of
attacking South African interests in Nigeria.
The Nigerian protesters warned both governments
that time is running out for them to address the
causes of the attacks. Our government should
ensure South Africa pays adequate compensations
for the losses. We would no longer sacrifice
Nigerians for diplomacy. Let these attacks be the
last.
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