THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as provocative and
completely unacceptable the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other
foreign nationals in South Africa.
A number of migrants including Nigerians are believed to have been
killed in a wave of xenophobic attacks in recent days by South Africans
on foreigners, who they accused of snatching their jobs.
A statement issued by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa
Metuh, on Saturday, in Abuja, said the attacks were “outright barbaric,
primitive and cannot be justified under any guise whatsoever,” adding
that it was “unfortunate and disheartening that South Africans by this
attitude have shown that they are not appreciative of the roles played
by Nigeria and other African countries in liberating their nation from
the clutches of the obnoxious apartheid system.”
Meanwhile, facts emerged, on Saturday, about the undercurrent of
hatred and constant xenophobic attacks on black Africans in South
Africa, as the attacks have been described as an “institutionalised
crime aided by top South African government officials to deliberately
obliterate and distort the contributions of some African countries to
the liberation struggle of South Africa during apartheid.” A South
Africa-based Nigerian media practitioner and Chief Executive Officer of
Better Africa Communications and Consults, Mr Femi Oshin, disclosed this
in a telephone interview with Sunday Tribune, yesterday, just as he
said that many young South Africans were ignorant of the contributions
of many African countries to the liberation struggle waged by the
African National Congress (ANC) against white settlers in the
country.According to him, “one of the major causes of xenophobia and
Afrophobia in South Africa is the paucity of knowledge, in terms of
Nigeria’s contribution and that of other African countries towards the
dismantling of apartheid system in South Africa,” he noted.
Quoting the late foremost Kenyan political writer, Ali Mazrui, Oshin,
who produces “Agogo Ayo”, a magazine programme for M-NET DSTV, South
Africa, said many South Africans saw many Africans who lived in their
country as new colonialists, and that Nigerians were the most
domineering among them, hence the constant attacks on them.
“According to Mazrui, South Africans see Nigerians who live in their
country as new black colonialists, who have come to take out of their
hard-earned resources, which they jostled for for many years.
“The attacks have been on for many years, and government officials in
the country are fuelling it up so as to wipe off the claim that African
countries contributed to the freedom of South Africa from the
stranglehold of white colonialists,” he added.
The television producer/presenter disclosed that he was the victim of
xenophobia in 2005 when South African police officers ambushed him on
the street of Johannesburg and started beating him, though he didn’t
commit any offence.
“Many Nigerians and other African nationals have been clobbered to
death in broad daylight on the street by the South African police
officers, not because they committed any offence, but because they just
hate seeing them in their country.
“What is happening here is beyond what you hear in Nigeria or see
online. Xenophobia or Afrophobia is an organised crime against black
Africans, especially Nigerians. The fact is that they hate hearing that
Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe or what have you helped them to secure
freedom from oppression, and to end the claim, young and ignorant South
Africans are often incited to foment trouble against black Africans.
“I have been here for years, and know them very well,” he said,
noting that the poor attitude of the Nigerian High Commission in South
Africa towards the welfare and complaints of Nigerian nationals in the
country has further worsened the situation, as this has emboldened South
Africans to “kill Nigerians at will.”
But the PDP called on the government of South Africa to take urgent
steps to halt the attacks, saying: “whilst we are aware that this
unfortunate incident is a fallout of incendiary utterances by certain
leaders in South Africa, we call on the ruling African National Congress
(ANC) and South African government to take urgent practical steps to
stem the tide and guarantee the safety of lives and property of
Nigerians and other nationals targeted by the xenophobes.”
Buhari commends FG on safety measure
In a related development, president-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari,
on Saturday, said that he is in full support of the steps taken so far
by the Nigerian government in its efforts to protect the country’s
citizens from the wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
In a statement released in Abuja by his Presidential Campaign
Organisation, General Buhari said that Nigeria’s Head of Mission in
Pretoria had taken the right steps by advising the Nigerian community in
South Africa to close their shops; stay home and keep out of trouble,
while ensuring that they obey the laws of their host country.
The statement further stated that, “we equally understand that the
South African government is making efforts to bring an end to this
unfortunate situation” stressing that, “in the meantime, Nigerians in
South Africa should abide by the words of caution extended them by their
government representative in Pretoria.”
General Buhari also commended the Nigerian government for its
decision to monitor the situation in South Africa and evacuate its
citizens at any sign of escalation.
Nigerian Union to resettle 50 Nigerians attacked by S’Africans
The Nigerian Union in South Africa has said that it has concluded
arrangements to resettle 50 Nigerians affected by the ongoing xenophobic
attacks.
The President of the union, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, made this known in
an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on phone from Pretoria,
South Africa, on Saturday.
Anyene said the Nigerians were displaced at Jeppes Town, near Johannesburg.
“We met about 300 Nigerians in Jeppes town, near Johannesburg, who
fled for their safety and about 50 of them do not have any place to
stay.
“We are making arrangements with the Nigerian mission in South Africa to get them a place to stay for their safety,” he said.
