Xenophobia in South Africa

It is sad that South Africa – Nelson Mandela’s country – is being turned into an enclave of hatred and violence against outsiders. Year after year, black disempowered South Africans rise in coordinated orgies and violence against foreigners from other countries on the pretext that these foreigners are responsible for their deteriorating economic and social conditions. It appears, like some scholars have argued, that black South Africa’s social imaginary is “distorted and tormented by the ghost of the past.” They seem trap in a perpetual vortex of self-escapism, denials, and, faced with an extremely corrupt and self-indulgent post-apartheid political elite, they have now resorted to externalising their problems. It is indeed a tragedy to see the rainbow nation, which held so much promise for its long-oppressed people, become a laggard and soulless nation on a part to self-destruction.

The signs were all from the beginning. Shortly before taking over power, the African National Congress virtually promised Eldorado to the majority black South Africans without considering the means with which to deliver on those promises. This led to the development of an unhealthy sense of entitlement on the part of the black South Africans who feel entitled to the wealth of the country. Consequently, the country was saddled with a large horde of uneducated, unskilled, unemployed, unemployable and lazy black population that expects to be fully taken care of by the government.

South Africa in 1994, on the eve of the first democratic elections, was by all standards, a fully capable and functional state with a thriving economy and strong industrial base. Noted that the economic power was concentrated in the hands of the White minority, the settlement reached – that the ANC will not seek to forcefully dismantle and appropriate the property of the Whites but will use the states’ resources to educate and consequently develop and integrate the majority black society – if consistently pursued and followed would have ensured the emancipation of black South Africans. But hardly had the ANC captured power than it began, under the guise of black empowerment, to enrich its members and party apparatchik while neglecting the overarching goal of black education and emancipation. Today, the South African economy is in shambles. Unemployment is at its highest and the majority blacks, ravaged by poverty and want, are wondering what they actually achieved in 1994!

South Africa is now at its lowest point under the leadership of the severely corrupt and morally challenged Jacob Zuma. Despite the putrefying smell of his many corruption and governance scandals – the Nkandala scandal, political cronyism and the unhealthy influence of the controversial Gupta family, attempt to control SABC – South Africa’s public broadcaster – banning it from covering protests and the killing of the protesting Marikana miners – and the fact that the courts have ordered the reopening of previous suspended corruption trails against him, Mr Zuma has refused to step aside to allow for a modicum of reform but has continued to dig in, ensuring he and eventually his acolytes retain control of the ANC and the country even after the end of his tenure.

But rather than blame their government, the ANC and Mr Zuma for their woes, ordinary black South Africans have found easy targets in foreigners who they accuse of taking their jobs – and for added measure, particularly of Nigerian men – their women. It does not matter to them that it is the same corrupt ANC politicians that tend to incite them against foreigners.

The government of South Africa must take full responsibility for the protection of lives and properties of any individual resident within its sovereign boundaries. This it has failed to do and clearly does not see it as a priority.

We call on the United Nations and the African Union to ramp up pressure on the corrupt South African government to ensure protection of all foreign nationals resident in South Africa, a detailed investigation of the various cases of Xenophobia in the country, the arrest and trial of all those indicted and the payment of compensation to the victims of the crimes and their families, in the cases of does that have been killed.

Nigerian, on its part, must ensure a robust response to the madness in South Africa. It must impress on the South African government that the continued targeting of its nationals is no longer acceptable.