That no fewer than 200 immigrants and foreign nationals among them Nigerians, have been killed in xenophobic attacks in South Africa since its first outbreak in 1994 should be of serious concern not only to Nigeria but the continent as a whole in view of the seeming refusal of the host’s security agencies to bring perpetrators of the heinous crime to justice and their glaring failure to protect the rights and lives of foreigners.
We, totally condemn the gruesome murder of two Nigerians in the latest outbreak, continued harassment and humiliation of targeted Nigerians and other black residents in South Africa who have been accused but not convicted by any court of law, of ‘’stealing jobs and engaging in criminality”, by disgruntled mobs even though foreigners constitute only 2.4 million out of the over 64.01 million population of the country.
Regrettably, such ill treatment and extra-judicial massacre which exclude white residents including nationals of their former colonial masters, the United Kingdom, UK, that implemented the disgustful and discriminatory apartheid policy for decades, completely negates the spirit of African brotherhood and International Law under which host states are obligated to protect the life, liberty, and property of foreigners, and failure to do so like the South Africa government, can result in international responsibility for injury or death of aliens.
Besides, unlike the past and current ugly trends, foreigners are entitled to fundamental human rights such as protection from torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and the right to due process which from all indications, the victims of xenophobia have been subjected.
This makes it imperative for the President Bola Tinubu administration to lead the diplomatic offensive at the continental level against any further attacks on black residents in South Africa and should insist on getting justice and financial compensation for victims of the ongoing mayhem.
As a first step, we demand that the federal government should lodge an official complaint against South Africa at both the African Union, AU, and the United Nations, UN, about the glaring inaction and lack of political will on the part of President Cyril Ramaphosa government to move decisively and pragmatically in arresting criminals who violate international law, harass, maim and slaughter black residents recklessly for whatever reason without having recourse to the rule of law. He must arrest the murderers and make them face justice.
We view with serious concern and the international community should take particular notice of this; according to the records, the fact that nobody has ever been convicted or sent to prison for murder, or extrajudicial murder since the killings and destruction began several decades ago thus indicating government backing of the criminals.
However, we are opposed to suggestions that Nigeria should nationalize the assets of South African companies including MTN and Multichoice at a time that President Tinubu is wooing international investors to the country.
Again, we are disappointed that the propelling factors for xenophobia including the promise of jobs to South Africa citizens, economic frustration, high unemployment rate, political scapegoating and misinformation about foreign nationals often accused of stealing the jobs and responsible for the high crime rate had not been fully addressed by the political and traditional elites and hence the latest renewed xenophobic attacks on foreign migrants ahead of the forthcoming municipal elections in November as well as the general election next year.
Sadly also, according to reports, the violent and indiscriminate rhetoric and actions of some of South Africa’s politicians who promised the electorate jobs and life abundance during electioneering rather than own up to their failure, resort to blame game as well as blaming foreigners for the economic challenges and social vices facing South Africa which puts the lives and properties of Nigerians and other nationals at risk in the former apartheid enclave.
The ceaseless attacks on other hardworking blacks who have a much better work ethic than the entitled attitude of their hosts to work and unjustifiable claim that other nationals are taking up their jobs but cannot explain how a Nigerian immigrant owned supermarket, employing South African staff, took their jobs is nonsense and untenable. It is also an irony that white migrants some of whom their home government tormented the blacks during the apartheid regime are left unmolested.
We insist that there is nothing criminal for educated professional migrants from Nigeria, Zambian or Zimbabwe who have undergone certification as doctors, dentists, engineers, pilots and other professions in taking up employment alongside nationals of other countries in South Africa.
The accusation that foreigners too, are the masterminds of criminality in their host nation is not only laughable but very wrong as in our view, crime has no nationality and African migrants alone cannot perpetuate criminal activities without the active collusion of natives since experience had shown that all crimes are local. Assuming such allegation is true, are there no law enforcement agencies that are statutory charged to bring all criminals be they indigenes or immigrants to face the full wrath of the law?. So, why should local mobs arrogate to themselves the constitutional role of security agencies?
We consider it a matter of misplaced aggression for foreign nationals to be labelled common criminals and made scapegoats in this hatred attacks considering the active role and enormous resources spent by black nations in dismantling the infamous apartheid regime even as it is on record that Nigeria alone sunk a whopping $61 billion in funding liberation movements to ensure freedom for South Africa.
Truly, Nigeria, more than any other nations including the frontline states, was at the forefront of the protracted fight against the apartheid regime with every Nigerian worker compelled then to fund the support for the liberation of those we saw as our African brothers and sisters in Southern Africa in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), South-West Africa (now Namibia) and South Africa whose citizens, regrettably, have turned against their benefactors, maiming, killing and destroying their hard earned property. What an irony indeed! Sadly, in the latest attacks, two Nigerians have been killed, scores injured, their property destroyed, while about 130 have registered to return home.
Both at the continental level and the United Nations, Nigeria been the only non-contiguous nation accorded Frontline State, in recognition of its extraordinary support for the liberation struggle, in conjunction with the surrounding states of Zambia, Botswana, Angola and Tanzania, named the Frontline States, took the lead in financial and diplomatic support, constantly drawing the attention of the global community not only to the evils of the apartheid but the massacre of defenseless blacks by the oppressive regime.
We further recall with satisfaction that Nigeria was home to hundreds of South African students who were offered scholarship in Nigerian universities without asking for anything in return, education they were denied in their homeland by the white regime.
Therefore, it’s a matter of regret that in return for this pan-African spirit and noble cause of sacrificing money, energy, diplomatic measures, school slots, sweat, and tears for their freedom, some South Africans continue to demonstrate ingratitude, attacking, killing fellow blacks, stripping elderly African women naked in public, and burn their businesses under the guise of protecting their economic interests and eradicating criminal activities.
We demand that South African police and justice systems should take pending cases of extra-judicial killings of Nigerians and other black migrants more seriously and ensure that justice is served to the victims and their attackers without fear or favour even as we insist that there should be clear and immediate consequences for such acts. Nigeria should immediately evacuate its 130 citizens desirous of leaving South Africa due to xenophobic attacks and the strong anti-foreigner sentiments openly expressed during anti-migrant protests in South Africa.
It is very unfortunate and despicable the fact that Nigerian children as well as children born of both Nigerian and South African parents derisively referred to as ‘Sougerians’ are also being wrongfully bullied in schools and taunted to ‘return to their country’ in the latest attacks, an ugly development capable of causing trauma to young minds for whom such incidents may remain etched in memory for life.
Tinubu’s recent directive that the Nigerian Missions in South Africa set up, with immediate effect, a crisis notifications unit for endangered citizens who should first contact South Africa security authorities whenever dangerous situations arise is welcome. We caution all migrants to stay out of trouble, go about their legitimate businesses, be resilient, law abiding and respect the culture and tradition of the people of the host nation.
Therefore, we challenge public office holders at the local, state and federal levels in Nigeria and politicians across Africa to always fulfill their campaign promises, embrace good governance, ensure that democracy actually works for the common good in terms of adequate security of lives and property, providing the enabling environment for private enterprises to thrive and generate employment for the rapidly growing youth population to discourage them from always seeking greener pastures in foreign land that often turn out to be very hostile and deadly to black migrants like the situation in South Africa.
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