South Africa is at it again, displaying its customary Xenophobia. Last week, there was a wave of Xenophobic attacks on other Africans, particularly Nigerians, living in the country. In 2015, for over four weeks, hundreds of South African youths wielded machete and other dangerous weapons, looting and burning businesses, asking other African nationals to “return to their home countries”. Similar Xenophobic attacks took place in 2008, when a wave of anti-immigration violence left about 62 people dead. In 2006,Xenophobic riots broke out for several months in Cape Town.
To be sure, what is often called Xenophobia is actually “Afrophobia”, hatred of fellow Africans. After the 2015 attacks, the then South African police minister, Nathi Nhleko, said there was widespread Afrophobia in South Africa. The country’s current foreign minister Naledi Pandor, said the same thing, following the recent violence, “there is a prejudice in South Africa against people from other African countries.”
But why would South Africans hate their fellow Africans? Leaving aside the fact that the country calls itself a “rainbow nation”. There is something about the attacks on other African nationals that smacks of ingratitude. Do they not remember their own history? Have they forgotten so quickly how Nigeria, and other African countries, supported their struggle against apartheid? How could they forget, that Nigeria harboured several prominent ANC exiles, and made significant financial and diplomatic contributions to help accelerate the collapse of apartheid?
Okay, maybe the South African youths brandishing machete and attacking Nigerians have no memories of Nigeria’s role in their country’s anti-apartheid struggle. But do they also not know that Nigeria is the most important African market for South African companies, with an estimated investment of N6.5 trillion (about $18bn) in this country? Nigerians with commercial interests in South Africa are mainly traders and small-business owners, whereas South African large companies, such as MTN, MulitChoice and Shoprite, have significant commercial presence in Nigeria.Economic logic suggests that when a country has strong economic interests in another country, it would do nothing to rupture that relationship.
The sad thing, though, is that South African leaders, who should know better, give tacit encouragement to the Xenophobia by fuelling anti-foreigners’ sentiments. In 2015, the Zulu king, Goodwill Zwelithini, was widely criticised for saying that foreigner nationals should “pack their bags and go”, although he later said he was misquoted. But, as the Financial Times said last week, the main political parties in South Africa, the ruling African National Congress (ANC), and the Democratic Alliance (DA), dabbled in populist rhetoric targeting foreigners in recent elections, with the DA campaigning on the message of “secure our borders”, while an ANC minister said that South African cities were becoming “80 percent foreign national … we are surrendering our lands.”
Of course, as populists do, the leaders were only playing on the fears of the people for electoral advantage. The truth is that those fears, which stem from deep poverty and inequality, are the root causes of the Xenophobia. South Africa is one of the world’s most unequal countries, and has one of the world’s highest unemployment rates, currently 29 percent. Over 10 million South Africans are unemployed and half the country live below the poverty line.
Surely, when you have the combination of grinding poverty and inequality as well ingrained culture of violence, which is a legacy of decades of brutal apartheid regime, you have a tinderbox waiting to ignite. And the existence of a large and visible immigrant community amid widespread local unemployment, poverty and inequality is a spark that could easily ignite the tinderbox. It is estimated that about two million of South Africa’s 55 million-strong population are either documented or undocumented immigrants, that is, foreign-born.
So, South Africa faces a unique challenge, which, though doesn’t justify the Xenophobic attacks, cannot be ignored. The poverty, inequality and economic exclusion of millions are very problematic. I once worked briefly in South Africa as a research fellow and it was always shocking to see hundreds of youths roaming the streets during the day jobless, with most even unemployable due to poor education. Yet, given its relatively sophisticated economy, South Africa attracts a lot of immigrants from other African countries, which breeds envy and resentment from the poor locals.
Sadly, some Nigerian immigrants don’t help matters. Because of their bad behaviours, they can really be a pain in the neck. The South African foreign minister said recently that many Nigerians in South Africa are drug traffickers. Of course, this breeds local resentment. But, unfortunately, it’s law-abiding Nigerians, those living legally in the country and undertaking legitimate businesses, that bear the brunt of such resentment and the Xenophobic attacks.
Of course, Xenophobia is not a unique South African problem. It is an African and, indeed, a world problem! What is unique about the South African brand of Xenophobia is the violent attacks. Countries all over the world respond to challenges posed by immigration in different ways. It is a shame that South Africans have allowed their own fear of immigrants to have a violent streak. There is certainly no excuse for any form of violence.
Yet, hypocritically, Nigeria, a very violent country, where Boko Haram and criminal herdsmen kill fellow Nigerians with impunity, has taken the moral high ground. Buhari, Nigeria’s president sounded tough, the foreign minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, summoned the South African high commissioner and Vice President Osinbajo withdrew from the World Economic Forum meeting in Cape Town. Bizarrely, Nigeria’s ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), called on Buhari to nationalise MTN, DSTV and other South African companies and banks in Nigeria.
The party’s national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, wanted Nigerians to stop patronising MTN and other South African companies in Nigeria. Meanwhile, sadly, there were reprisal attacks on MTN, Shoprite and the South African embassy in Nigeria, forcing its closure until further notice.
One would think, with such reactions, that Nigeria is a model for African inclusivity. Yet, it is not. Take its love-hate relationship with Ghana. In 1969 Ghana deported thousands of Nigerians and other immigrants for flimsy reasons. Then, in 1984, under the military regime of the now President Buhari, it was Nigeria’s turn to be Xenophobic: it deported up to one million Ghanaian and other African migrants. Later, in 1985, another 300,000 Ghanaians were asked to leave Nigeria at short notice. In 2012, South Africa deported 125 Nigerians; Nigeria, under the administration of Goodluck Jonathan, retaliated by deporting 84 South Africans in two days! So much, then, for African unity!
Surely, none of this bodes well for African economic integration. The newly established African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and any push for free movement of people cannot succeed in a climate of Afrophobia. The impetuous calls for economic sanctions against South Africa suggest that Nigeria, a reluctant integrationist, could use such Xenophobic attacks as excuse to renege on its commitments to AfCFTA.
But, economic integration apart, South Africa has a moral duty to treat citizens of other African countries well. As Jacob Zuma, South Africa’s president in 2015 said the solidarity of other African countries, “was critical to achieving the freedom and democracy we are enjoying today.” South Africans will do well to always remember that!
Olu Fasan
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