By Timi Frank
The two day state visit to Abuja last week by President Jacob Zuma of South Africa is widely interpreted within the diplomatic circle as an important step to reinvigorating Nigeria-South Africa bilateral relations which have hitherto been bedevilled by tensions in recent years. Accordingly, the state visit was seen as an attempt to mend soured relations between the two African “power-houses” thereby opening a new chapter in their bilateral relationship. As such, the South Africa’s head of public diplomacy, Ms Clayson Monyela, told Al Jazeera that President Zuma’s visit to Nigeria will inject new life and energy into important strategic relationship between the two countries and resolve perceived tensions. She added that the visit will send a powerful political message across Africa.
During the state visit which commenced on Tuesday, March 8, 2016, Zuma addressed a joint session of the National Assembly where he formally acknowledged the historic contributions of Nigeria to his country’s liberation struggle. At some point in the apartheid era, Nigeria played pivotal role in galvanizing members of the defunct Organization of African Unity (OAU) against white minority rule. At any rate, Nigeria also provided moral, financial and logistics support toward the fight against a brutal apartheid system starting from 1960s to mid 1990s before South Africa eventually emerged from the obnoxious regime around 1994 following the election of the African National Congress (ANC) with the iconic Nelson Mandela as its first black president.
Since the end of apartheid regime over two decades ago, Abuja-Pretoria bilateral relations have witnessed some problematic instances which are not uncommon among allies in the international arena. These frosty relationships between the two preeminent states in Africa have been generally characterized by diplomatic rows. For example, the issue of human rights abuse in Nigeria especially following the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election when military dictators put many pro-democracy, human and environmental rights activists in detention including the presumed winner, the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, as well as the duo of Generals Olusegun Obasanjo and Shehu Musa Yar’Adua respectively amongst others other prodemocracy activists.
It should be recalled that late President Mandela was under tremendous pressure by the international community to lend support to planned imposition of sanctions on Nigeria as a result of General Sani Abacha’s military dictatorship and flagrant abuse of human rights in the country. According to recent information credited to former South African President, Thambo Mbeki, Pretoria only acceded to the pressure after Abuja reneged on its promises hanged Ken Saro-Wiwa and his Ogoni brothers. Prior to to this, the Abacha government also felt unhappy with the ill-treatment received during the inauguration of Mandela as the first black president of the Republic of South Africa when the authorities in Pretoria preferred to accord the presumed winner of June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief Abiola, more respect than the official Nigerian delegation led by General Abacha himself as the then Head of State.
With the kangaroo trial and execution of the Ogoni environmental activists – popularly referred to as the “Ogoni nine” on November 10, 1995, the bilateral diplomatic relations between Abuja and Pretoria finally slumped as South African leaders supported the suspension of Nigeria from the Commonwealth of Nations turning Nigeria to a pariah nation ostracized by the rest of the international community. The Abacha regime retaliated by refusing to allow our darling Super Eagles to defend its championship in the All Africa Cup of Nations which was hosted by South Africa in 1996. As a result of refusal of Nigerian government to allow the Super Eagles to participate in the 1996 championship, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) suspended the Super Eagles and thereby missed participation in two subsequent editions of the competitions until year 2000 when Nigeria hosted the championship. Until the end of military rule in Nigeria, the relationships between both countries were laced with antagonistic postures with low mutual cordiality.
However, the transition to civil rule in 1999 with the election of General Obasanjo as the President of Nigeria effectively softened that iron curtain era in bilateral relations between the two countries. As manifestation of the new demarche, a bi-national commission was established in 1999 as an institutional platform to strengthen trade and cooperation between the two countries. Meanwhile, in recent years, the major events that have led to spat between the two countries include holding different opinion on major international policies such as during the Libyan and the Ivorian crises. While, Nigeria aligned more with international public opinion in respect of the Libyan issue under the late Muammar Gaddafi than that of the South Africa, the fallout from the Libyan crisis with increasing Islamist insurgency in the Maghreb region however showed that South African was more discerning in the light of the post Gaddafi’s Libya than Nigeria as violent extremism has pervaded the horizon especially in the sub region and with Nigeria feeling the heat of Boko Haram insurgency as well.
The issue of Yellow Fever vaccination card in which South African Immigration officials refused entry to the country for some 125 Nigerian travellers in March 2012 also generated tensions between the two countries. At the end, Pretoria apologized and unveiled new immigration procedures aimed at ending a diplomatic row between the two countries. Moreover, Pretoria also sent special representatives to Abuja to iron out the differences although majority of Nigerians were not swayed by the efforts. The ill-fated arms purchase/money laundering saga was another event that questioned the nature of Nigerian/South African bilateral relations in recent time. It is great that President Zuma promised to repatriate the fund back to Nigeria.
The official criticism by the South African authorities over poor response by the nation’s authorities to the deadly collapse of Synagogue Church of all Nations’ building in Lagos in 2014 in which 81 out of the 116 victims were said to be South Africans and the recent fine imposed on the South African telecommunication giant – MTN – in October 2015 for failure to disconnect 5.1million unregistered SIM cards also counted as some of the issues that have helped shaped Nigeria-South African bilateral relations in recent time. Notwithstanding, both countries continue to recognise the strategic and mutual importance of their cooperation.
At the moment, there are more than 120 South African firms in Nigeria according to credible news reports quoting President Jacob Zuma. South African firms such as MTN, Multichoice (DSTV), Shoprite, the Game, KFC, Stanbic and many others spanning different sectors of the Nigerian economy like telecommunications, finance, tourism, and retail trade have since birthed in Nigeria in quick succession and continue to reap bountifully from the vast opportunities available within the huge Nigerian market. In fact, before the end of Obasanjo’s first term in office – between 1999 and 2003 – the volume of South Africa exports to Nigeria was said to have increased by approximately 540 per cent. The relationship has now reached new heights with Nigeria becoming South Africa’s largest trading partner on the continent.
But not much can be said of the participation of Nigerian companies in South African market. In terms of trade, the balance of payment favours the South Africans more than Nigeria. Perhaps this might explain why President Muhammadu Buhari lamented that Nigeria has not benefited sufficiently from her bilateral relations with South Africa. How many Nigerian businesses are operating successfully in South Africa? The few Nigerian consulting firms that ventured into South Africa could not cope. Even African richest man, Aliko Dangote, complained over harsh operating environment in South Africa. Or, could it be that Nigerian companies cannot equal the business genius of their South African counterparts? Certainly not, I think, if given a level playing field afforded South Africans doing business in Nigeria. Even though a large population of Nigerians are daily struggling to eke out a living in the former apartheid enclave, most of them are often caught in the brutal web of xenophobic attacks championed by black South Africans who consider the presence of Nigerians as robbing them of the scarce economic opportunities available there.
Going forward the presidential visit last week by South African president is eliciting interests among public commentators on what should be the ideal nature of bilateral relations between the two countries henceforth. It is important that the two countries explore new frontiers in their bilateral relations as President Zuma called for more mutually benefiting relationships between the two powerhouses in Africa. The quick resolution of the MTN’s infractions will also be crucial in constructing better diplomatic and trade relations. At the level of government to government, there is need to do more on the part of South African government to stop the frequent xenophobic attacks against foreigners especially Nigerians and other foreigners domiciled in that country. Without doubt, the authorities in Abuja and Pretoria could leverage on this renewed bilateral rapport between both countries to maximally extend the frontiers of their political, social, security and economic engagements based on respect, cooperation, and the observance of the principles of international law in mutually beneficial ways.
-Leadership