Despite the continuous outcry by Nigerians in South Africa that they have been subjected to xenophobic attacks meted out by the citizens, the heinous act has continued to thrive, writes Martins Ifijeh
One thing common with most Africans is their spirit to accommodate strangers who either come to visit them or live amongst them, and the reason is not far fetched from the fact that Africans are naturally happy people who love to embrace not just fellow Africans but people from other races and continents.
Popular among such countries is Nigeria, which is home to all 53 African countries, including South Africans, Ghanians, Kenyans, Benin Republicans, Zambians, as well as other countries outside the continent, without being threatened by their presence here in the country.
All Nigerians do is help such foreigners nurture, guide and provide enabling environment for them to excel in what ever brings them to the cosmopolitan country.
Popular among countries that have made Nigeria their business hub because of the huge financial returns and the enabling environment they benefit is South Africa – known to own DSTV; which is arguably the biggest cable network in Nigeria and MTN; one of the biggest telecommunication giants in the country as well.
But this spirit of accommodation cannot be said of South Africa, a fellow African country that constantly reminds foreigners, mostly Nigerians, that they are not welcomed in their country as they believe their economic opportunities are being hijacked by these foreigners. Their major issue against Nigerians and other immigrants is that these foreigners have penchants for hard work and ability to make good economic use of any environment they find themselves.
Many Nigerians who have lived in South Africa often share sorry tales of how they have been unfortunately targets of hate crimes propelled by xenophobia from South Africans.
The recent xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other foreign black nationals living in South Africa reportedly originated from a statement credited to the King of Zulu, Goodwill Zwelithini, when he asked all foreign nationals living in South Africa to go back to their country because they are depriving their own citizens of job and other economic opportunities.
Though the king has claimed that his comments were distorted, the locals however interpreted his speech to mean that they have been given go ahead to commit hate crimes against Nigerians and other black foreigners. An interpretation that has snowballed into the loss of lives of six persons while shops and other businesses of foreigners have either been looted or destroyed in a bid to force them out of their country.
What is worrisome is that the government is doing very little to quell the outcry; evidenced by the fact that no South African has been prosecuted for these heinous crimes against fellow humans.
Even more disturbing is the recent video of a black foreigner being burnt alive while two South African policemen are seen laughing at the man who was fighting for his life while been engulfed in flames of wickedness orchestrated by xenophobia by locals.
“Despite international outcry against the menace, South Africans have continued to openly wreck havoc on Nigerians and other immigrants because they feel threatened by the sight of foreigners,” explained Femi, a concerned Nigerian who simply wished to be addressed by his first name.
He therefore called on Nigerian government to do all it can to protect Nigerians living in the diaspora, especially those living in South Africa as they have constantly become subjects of ridicule and hate figures among South Africans.
Reacting to South African’s claim that Nigerians and other immigrants have taken over their jobs and other economic opportunities in their country, a Nigerian lawyer who lives in Johannesburg said it is no doubt that Nigerians are excelling over there because they are hard working and entrepreneurial in nature.
“But on the other hand, most South Africans are known to be lazy and often believes hard work is not their thing. Hence, the hard working foreigners make more money than most of them do.
“When Nigerians come to their country, the first thing these locals do is try to sell their lands to them, use the money to enjoy themselves without planning their future from the proceeds. When they are broke, they start envying the Nigerians who through hard work are riding exotic cars and building mansions on the same lands sold to them by the same South Africans.
“In my own opinion, there is no rocket science there. Very few South Africans are willing to do menial jobs, own shops and do other businesses that starts small. By the time Nigerians put in their best and over time start making money and living comfortable through these same businesses that started small, the locals get threatened and start killing us. It is unfortunate,” he added.
It was reported over the weekend that some Nigerians, Malawians and other foreign blacks are currently in near-by police stations across Durban, while others are in various camps and hoping their government would come evacuate them from the country because of the threat to their lives and properties.
Available reports also suggests that some Nigerians are currently grounded in their homes while keeping guard on their families and properties.
The hate crimes and intimidation experienced by immigrants didn’t just start today. Since the dismantling of apartheid many years ago, black foreigners have been subjects of xenophobic attacks, sometimes leading to loss of lives of innocent Nigerians who live among them.
It would be recalled that in October 2007 when the musical maestro, Lucky Dube was assassinated in South Africa, the assailants said they thought he was Nigerian because he looked good and drove expensive cars. Till date the government never did anything to prevent their citizens from perceiving foreign blacks as enemies.
Between 2007 and 2008, at least 67 people, including many Nigerians, reportedly died of hate crimes. In 2008, about 62 people died of series of attacks apparently motivated by xenophobia. It has also been noted that African immigrants have suffered racist attacks, with Nigerian nationals being at the centre of hate-filled violence and arson.
One then wonders if this was not the oppression and intimidation South Africans fought against when they were being ruled by white foreigners. Nelson Mandela and other patriots in the country couldn’t take the pain and humiliation that came with the apartheid era, they fought to be equal among every citizen. But unfortunately, their citizens in turn now mete the same treatment on black foreigners, especially those who are there legitimately.
But one may ask, what are the offenses of these foreigners? Most South Africans are of the opinion that Nigerians and other foreign nationals living in their country have taken over most of the jobs met for them and that they have as well taking over the business space thereby making money which ordinarily should be made by the locals themselves.
Another school of thought by South Africans believe Nigerians and other foreign nationals are often the perpetrators of crimes like robbery, rape, gang fighting, drug trafficking, among others in their communities.
This is the source of worry for a Nigerian currently living in Durban, Alfred Inegbenoise, as he believes the various reasons adduced by South Africans in perpetuating hate crimes on fellow Africans is surprising.
Alfredro, as he is popularly called has been living in Mandiba’s country since February 2007 with his wife and two kids.
He explained that when he got to Durban, other Nigerians living there explained to him how Nigerians who must live in peace must succumb to being second class citizens and that even in the face of intimidation and oppression, they must not be forced to make trouble with their host.
“I have been living like that with that consciousness for many years now, but even at that, majority of locals do not like us, they consider us threat to their economy because we know how to struggle and make earns meet.
“There are times before I come back from work, my house will be ransacked by robbers. My television has been stolen twice here in Durban and we all know those who does robbery here, they are not foreigners. Foreigners here are hardworking people.”
“Often times these locals accuse us of committing various crimes, but the truth is they are the major ones who are into drugs, who loot foreigners, fight and rape. Even when we report these crimes, they are never prosecuted, because their police believe they are their own.
Alfredo said he has never supported crime, and urged the South African government to prosecute any Nigerian or foreigner who has been caught to committing crime. “I will never support crime, so if the South African government catches any foreigner committing any crime, it wont be out of place to prosecute such person, even if it is Nigerian. But what worries us is that most of those allegations about us committing crimes are not substantiated, they only exist in the figment of the imagination of the locals, and often times uses the police to harass us.
“Several of my fellow Nigerians have been victims of this oppression on a number of times. If a local wants police to prosecute a Nigerian, they come all out, bribe the police and appeal to their conscience, then in turn these police would start slamming unsubstantiated charges on us.
He said often times, those who commits these crimes are South Africans.
Alfredo believes that the major problem with locals in South Africa is that most of them do not like struggling to make earns meet for themselves, so when they see a foreigner doing legitimate business and progressing at same time, they either start hating on such persons or even becoming envious.
“I can’t count how many times Nigerians have been killed here in Durban just because they are struggling their way out of poverty through legitimate means. Majority of the killings here are not reported in the media. We are suffering here. It is obvious to us that we are living on borrowed time.”
Alfredo who could not go to work as at the time of this interview, said he is currently at home ‘protecting’ his family from any eventuality that locals may come fight his wife and children or destroy his properties as they are currently doing to other foreign blacks in the area.
He also accused South African government of not doing enough to protect the foreign blacks in the country. “The present hate crimes been experienced presently was even fueled by comments from traditional rulers and even the government as they consistently label us rapists, armed robbers, drug traffickers and other unthinkable crimes.
“What we constantly say to the government here is that, if you believe anybody is committing any crime and you have the evidence, why not prosecute that person irrespective of whether the person is a South African, Nigerian or any other national, instead of roundly accusing all foreign blacks of crimes.”
Also, Feelers from Nigerians in South Africa also suggests that their government also indirectly promote and encourage its citizens to believe immigrants are the source of unemployment and the crimes in the country.
Their parliaments have at one time or the other accused foreign blacks of attempting to take over economic opportunities of their own citizens, while continuously labeling illegal immigrants as national security threats.
Many Nigerians also believe that this inhumane attitude didn’t just start from South African soil. “Even in their embassies in Lagos and Abuja, they treat Nigerians like second class citizens and denies them visas at will even though most of them have genuine reasons to visit the country,” said Zion Iwueke, a concerned Nigerian.
“I have heard a lot of stories on how several Nigerians who intended to attend the 2010 world cup were denied entry visas for no reasons,, he added.
It would be recalled that in 2012, the government of South Africa denied 125 Nigerians travellers entry into its country. The Nigerian travellers were prevented from entering South Africa on the grounds that they had “invalid” yellow fever vaccination cards. But many of the travellers who were frequent travellers said they had used the same cards in previous travels. The Nigerian government retaliated by denying entry to some South African travellers. The diplomatic row was however averted when the South African government apologised to the Nigerian government.
The Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC) has therefore called on the South African authorities to immediately halt the ongoing xenophobic attacks in their territories or have their nationals in Nigeria subjected to similar treatment.
The president, NYC, Comrade Yakubu Shendam, who expressed dismay at the act, regretted that South African authorities are silent on such callous acts perpetrated against a people who have contributed largely to their economic growth.
He said if the Nigerian government and people can provide the enabling environment for South Africans to thrive and in turn, her citizens are being maimed and killed for being foreigners in South Africa, then Nigerian youths may be compelled to mete out similar treatment to South Africans operating in the country.
According to him, “Nigerian youths cannot continue to sit and watch South Africans thrive in their various endeavours while Nigerians who are out there in South Africa pursuing legitimate businesses are being hunted down everyday”, he stated.
In a stern warning, Shendam said any report of xenophobia or any maltreatment further meted out to Nigerians in South Africa will be retaliated against their nationals operating in Nigeria.
“Enough is enough; if South African government cannot call its youths to order, we will be left with no alternative but to prove to them that they do not have monopoly of violence,” he added.
THIS DAY
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