785
By Tochukwu Ezukanma
Just as you reserve the right to walk a stranger out of your house, you
reserve the right to demand the exit of foreigners from your country. It
is the prerogative of the South Africans to dictate who can or cannot be
allowed residence in their country. That the Nigerian government helped
them in their struggle against Apartheid does not, in anyway, invalidate
that right. So, in demanding that Nigerians leave their country, the
South Africans have done nothing wrong.
The inundation of different countries of the world by Nigerians, as
economic refugees, is a direct consequence of the irresponsible and
anti-human policies of a series of kleptomanias, masquerading as
leaders, that ruled Nigeria over the years. Their total destruction of
the Nigerian economy triggered the mass-exodus of Nigerians to different
countries of the world, where they are resented, and sometimes, hated,
and periodically attacked, like in South Africa. So, as we fret about
the attacks on our compatriots and the looting and torching of their
businesses in South Africa, we have to realize that, by extension, the
real culprits for these are the irresponsible, grasping and corrupt
rulers that ran aground the Nigerian economy.
Usually, the resentment, anger and disgruntlement of the general public
are readily directed at the immigrant community. The immigrants are easy
targets for scape-goat; they are blamed for the host country’s woes:
unemployment, economic downturn, crime, etc. Not surprisingly, the South
Africans are blaming Nigerians for taking their jobs, and being drug
dealers, thieves, fraudsters, etc, – although many South Africans are
involved in the same illicit businesses. The killing of Nigerians and
the looting and burning down of their businesses and properties by South
African mobs have reached horrifying extremes. It is estimated that
about 150 Nigerians have been killed and Nigerian businesses and
property worth millions of dollars destroyed in these periodic
xenophobic attacks on Nigerians. Over all, the South African government
has not demonstrated any commitment to the protection of Nigerian lives
and property, or to bring the attackers to book.
South Africa has a history that gloried in violence. Consequently, it is
a very violent country. The taking over of the breathtakingly beautiful
country and the subjugation of the Black owners of the land by Dutch
settlers demanded justification and glorification of gratuitous
murderousness and unspeakable brutality. Later, as Blacks South Africans
rose in revolt against White supremacist tyranny, they also celebrated
bloodcurdling violence, including “neck lacing” – the hanging of a
petrol-socked tire over the neck and shoulder of alleged Black agent,
spy or informant of the White Apartheid government and setting him
ablaze. As a testament to the country’s culture of violence, some
notable Black South African leaders openly endorsed “neck lacing” as
legitimate punishment for suspected Black spies of the Apartheid regime.
With no institutional racism to fight and no quisling to neck lace, they
turned their violence and brutality on Nigerians, and other African
immigrants.
They have reasons to resent and hate Nigerians in their country. For
centuries, they became accustomed to Whites being successful and in
control. It is new fangled, and thus, unacceptable to them to see
successful and wealthy Nigerians in their midst. It is a sentiment
summed up in the notice issued by the South African owners/taxi
association against African immigrants, “These people drive expensive
cars, and they have churches, businesses in every street of South
Africa. They have everything that we as citizens don’t have.” In
addition, they are irked by the boastfulness, general lawlessness and
conspicuous consumption of Nigerians. Nigerians are also big spenders,
and, understandably, women snatchers. One of their stated gripes against
Nigerians is that they (Nigerians) “take our women”.
As expected, most of the 800, 000 Nigerians resident in South Africa are
unwilling to return to Nigeria, at least, on the short-run. Even, with
the call on them to return home by the Nigerian government and the
provision of free air fare by Air Peace, only a little more than six
hundred of them have, thus far, indicated interest to return. With the
prevailing anti-Nigerian sentiment not abating in that very violent
country, it is very likely that periodic attacks on Nigerians will
continue. The blaming of national problems that are glaring indicators
of failure of governance on the immigrants must be salutary to the
government of Cyril Ramaphosa. Not surprisingly, the government of
Ramaphosa has not only failed to protect Nigerians, but has, on some
occasions, stoked the anti-Nigerian sentiment.
The Nigerian government has very limited options in dealing with this
international dilemma. Reprisal actions on South Africans and their
business interests in Nigeria are not viable options. Very few South
Africans live in Nigeria. Secondly, attacks on South African businesses
in Nigeria will be most disadvantageous for Nigerians. They are major
employers of labor; attacks on them will worsen our already terrifying
unemployment problems. It will also undermine Nigeria’s credibility as a
secure foreign investment destination; it will dissuade prospective
foreign investors from investing in Nigeria.
It is bad leadership that destroyed the economy of our country, and sent
Nigerians swarming into different countries of the world as economic
refugees. In these countries they sojourn to escape the economic
miseries in their home country, they are resented, and, as in South
Africa, sometimes, hated and murdered. So, by extension, the blame for
the attacks on Nigerians in South Africa rests squarely on the series of
amoral and rapacious rulers that reduced Nigeria to economic boondocks.
Tochukwu Ezukanma writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
maciln18@yahoo.com
0803 529 2908
reserve the right to demand the exit of foreigners from your country. It
is the prerogative of the South Africans to dictate who can or cannot be
allowed residence in their country. That the Nigerian government helped
them in their struggle against Apartheid does not, in anyway, invalidate
that right. So, in demanding that Nigerians leave their country, the
South Africans have done nothing wrong.
The inundation of different countries of the world by Nigerians, as
economic refugees, is a direct consequence of the irresponsible and
anti-human policies of a series of kleptomanias, masquerading as
leaders, that ruled Nigeria over the years. Their total destruction of
the Nigerian economy triggered the mass-exodus of Nigerians to different
countries of the world, where they are resented, and sometimes, hated,
and periodically attacked, like in South Africa. So, as we fret about
the attacks on our compatriots and the looting and torching of their
businesses in South Africa, we have to realize that, by extension, the
real culprits for these are the irresponsible, grasping and corrupt
rulers that ran aground the Nigerian economy.
Usually, the resentment, anger and disgruntlement of the general public
are readily directed at the immigrant community. The immigrants are easy
targets for scape-goat; they are blamed for the host country’s woes:
unemployment, economic downturn, crime, etc. Not surprisingly, the South
Africans are blaming Nigerians for taking their jobs, and being drug
dealers, thieves, fraudsters, etc, – although many South Africans are
involved in the same illicit businesses. The killing of Nigerians and
the looting and burning down of their businesses and properties by South
African mobs have reached horrifying extremes. It is estimated that
about 150 Nigerians have been killed and Nigerian businesses and
property worth millions of dollars destroyed in these periodic
xenophobic attacks on Nigerians. Over all, the South African government
has not demonstrated any commitment to the protection of Nigerian lives
and property, or to bring the attackers to book.
South Africa has a history that gloried in violence. Consequently, it is
a very violent country. The taking over of the breathtakingly beautiful
country and the subjugation of the Black owners of the land by Dutch
settlers demanded justification and glorification of gratuitous
murderousness and unspeakable brutality. Later, as Blacks South Africans
rose in revolt against White supremacist tyranny, they also celebrated
bloodcurdling violence, including “neck lacing” – the hanging of a
petrol-socked tire over the neck and shoulder of alleged Black agent,
spy or informant of the White Apartheid government and setting him
ablaze. As a testament to the country’s culture of violence, some
notable Black South African leaders openly endorsed “neck lacing” as
legitimate punishment for suspected Black spies of the Apartheid regime.
With no institutional racism to fight and no quisling to neck lace, they
turned their violence and brutality on Nigerians, and other African
immigrants.
They have reasons to resent and hate Nigerians in their country. For
centuries, they became accustomed to Whites being successful and in
control. It is new fangled, and thus, unacceptable to them to see
successful and wealthy Nigerians in their midst. It is a sentiment
summed up in the notice issued by the South African owners/taxi
association against African immigrants, “These people drive expensive
cars, and they have churches, businesses in every street of South
Africa. They have everything that we as citizens don’t have.” In
addition, they are irked by the boastfulness, general lawlessness and
conspicuous consumption of Nigerians. Nigerians are also big spenders,
and, understandably, women snatchers. One of their stated gripes against
Nigerians is that they (Nigerians) “take our women”.
As expected, most of the 800, 000 Nigerians resident in South Africa are
unwilling to return to Nigeria, at least, on the short-run. Even, with
the call on them to return home by the Nigerian government and the
provision of free air fare by Air Peace, only a little more than six
hundred of them have, thus far, indicated interest to return. With the
prevailing anti-Nigerian sentiment not abating in that very violent
country, it is very likely that periodic attacks on Nigerians will
continue. The blaming of national problems that are glaring indicators
of failure of governance on the immigrants must be salutary to the
government of Cyril Ramaphosa. Not surprisingly, the government of
Ramaphosa has not only failed to protect Nigerians, but has, on some
occasions, stoked the anti-Nigerian sentiment.
The Nigerian government has very limited options in dealing with this
international dilemma. Reprisal actions on South Africans and their
business interests in Nigeria are not viable options. Very few South
Africans live in Nigeria. Secondly, attacks on South African businesses
in Nigeria will be most disadvantageous for Nigerians. They are major
employers of labor; attacks on them will worsen our already terrifying
unemployment problems. It will also undermine Nigeria’s credibility as a
secure foreign investment destination; it will dissuade prospective
foreign investors from investing in Nigeria.
It is bad leadership that destroyed the economy of our country, and sent
Nigerians swarming into different countries of the world as economic
refugees. In these countries they sojourn to escape the economic
miseries in their home country, they are resented, and, as in South
Africa, sometimes, hated and murdered. So, by extension, the blame for
the attacks on Nigerians in South Africa rests squarely on the series of
amoral and rapacious rulers that reduced Nigeria to economic boondocks.
Tochukwu Ezukanma writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
maciln18@yahoo.com
0803 529 2908