By Emeka Alex Duru
The nearest Nigeria had come with South Africa in the current bull-dog diplomacy was in 2012. Then, South Africa, in a bid to explain its hazy deportation of 125 Nigerians, had accused them of being diseased of Yellow Fever. In swift retaliation, the Nigerian government hauled 80 South Africans back to their country on allegation of being HIV/AIDS carriers. Within one week, Pretoria reached out to Abuja for truce.
Seven years after, Nigeria and South Africa are at each other’s throat, this time around, over attacks by South Africans on Nigerians living in their midst.
The attacks, the victims
The animosity hit its heights on Sunday and Monday, when criminal and loose elements of the South African society, descended on foreigners in the country, destroying and looting their properties. Nigerians appeared the worst hit.
The President of the Nigeria Union in South Africa (NUSA), Adetola Olubajo, gave a vivid explanation of the situation. According to him, the attacks began on Sunday morning in Jeppestown area of Johannesburg when a building was set ablaze by an angry mob.
“The mob also looted several shops that were around the vicinity suspected to be owned by foreign nationals. Late in the evening of Sunday, September 1, a group of violent locals suspected to be Zulu hostel dwellers besieged Jules Street in Malvern, Johannesburg, looted and burned shops/businesses’’, Olubajo said
He added that information gathered by members of NUSA in Malvern area indicated that over 50 shops were destroyed, looted and burnt over the night.
“Nigerian-owned businesses were seriously affected. A car sales business owned by a Nigerian was among the businesses set ablaze over the night. Although the police said that many people had been arrested over the unnecessary attacks, the looting and burning of foreign-owned businesses continued till Monday morning,’’ he said. Olubajo said he promptly called the Police when he got wind of the mayhem but before order could be restored, much harm had been done.
Nigerian Youths on rampage
Apparently irked by the lethargy on the part of the South African authorities in addressing the issue, by Tuesday, Nigerian youths went on the loose, vandalizing firms and facilities suspected to be owned by South Africans in the country. Mega shopping outlet, Shoprite and telecommunications giant, MTN, were the most affected in the outrage. By Wednesday, reports indicated that five persons had lost their lives in confrontations with the Police in attempts to prevent protesters from further assaults on the facilities. The firms have closed shops, for now.
Eye ball to eye ball?
The uncertain situation has also assumed diplomatic dimensions, on Thursday, when South Africa announced temporary closure of its diplomatic missions in Lagos and Abuja, citing reprisal attacks on some of its businesses. Agency Reports quoted the country’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Naledi Pandor as stating that the closure was necessary after series of attacks on foreign-owned businesses in South Africa caused a diplomatic spat.
Nigeria had not taken such direct step, by Thursday, but had dispatched an envoy to South Africa for a first-hand report on the developments in the country. However, from the body language of the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Oyeama, a recall of the Nigerian High Commissioner or closure of the High Commission in South Africa, seemed to be on the cards. In an action towards that direction, Nigeria has boycotted the on-going World Economic Forum (WEF) in South Africa. The Conference was to have been attended by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo.
The Foreign Minister also said that the Nigerian government is insisting on full compensation for Nigerian victims of the xenophobic attacks. He said “We have made it clear that what has happened in South Africa is totally unacceptable. We will not accept it and as I said earlier, enough is enough and we are not going to come back to this. We are going to address it once and for all. Whatever measures needed to be taken to ensure the safety of Nigerians in South Africa, we will take”.
Enter the private sector
Private Nigerian entrepreneurs are not left out in the expression of outrage over the attacks. Shortly after the opening of the WEF, erstwhile Chairman of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia, stormed out of the conference. At home, the Proprietor of Air Peace Airlines Allen Onyema, has volunteered to send an aircraft from Friday 6th September 2019 to evacuate Nigerians who wish to return to Nigeria free of charge, according to a release by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs- Ferdinand Nwonye.
In a rare development, in recent time, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are in one accord in condemning the attack against their compatriots. Nigerians have reasons in voicing out their angst.
Down memory lane
In what seems a pattern, Nigerians living in South Africa, have become objects of attack and in some cases, extra-judicial killing. Between 2015 and 2017, statistics indicated that 116 Nigerians had been killed in South Africa through extrajudicial means. The trend has increased, ever since. Curiously, seven in 10 of the killings were carried out by the Police. Another case of killing a Nigerian in the country, happened late last the week.
In explaining away the heinous acts authorities in South Africa, have usually thrown up offences alleged to have been committed by Nigerians murdered in controversial instances in the country. Experts have however argued that however weighty the charges may appear on the face value, they are certainly not enough to have warranted the extrajudicial treatment meted to the victims.
It is on this ground that the reprisals from Nigerians can be fully understood.
Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives
The actions by South Africans also constitute an affront on the country’s foreign policy objectives. Section 19 of the 1999 Constitution lists the country’s foreign policy objectives thus: “promotion and protection of national interest; promotion of African integration and support of African unity; promotion of international cooperation for consolidation of universal peace and mutual respect among all nations and elimination in all its manifestation; respect for international law and treaty obligations as well as the seeking of settlement of international disputes by negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and adjudication and promotion of a just world economic order.”
In its relations with South Africa, Nigeria has kept faith with these principles, commencing from the decolonization era when it had deployed its resources and personnel to ensure institution of black majority rule in the country. South Africa, has however kept its side of the bargain in breach, in most cases. Thus, Nigeria baring its fangs in the instant episode, can be understood. More so, the Foreign Affairs Minister has assured of the country doing everything required to protect Nigerians.
How far can Nigeria go?
The question, however, is how far the country can go in asserting herself in the event of the current impasse dovetailing into pronounced diplomatic face-off. For one, the Nigeria of the Big Brother era, is no longer the situation, presently. With robust economic power and other capabilities to project its power, Nigeria could call the shots in the past. The situation, has sadly changed, now. In ranking and reputation, currently, South Africa and Ghana are clearly ahead of Nigeria – no thanks to the country’s dwindling leadership profile and rising corruption index.
The recent development where Kenya, South Africa, Ghana and other countries in the continent ignored Nigeria and led the pace in signing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), speaks volume on how far the country is currently rated in Africa. There is therefore, the likelihood of these other countries, flowing with South Africa in the event of being forced to make a choice between the two.
Statistics also indicate that the balance of trade between South Africa and Nigeria, weighs more in favour of the former. It also boasts of a more robust economy. The implication is that if and when the push comes to a shove, it may be easier for South Africans to recall her nationals from Nigeria than Nigeria doing so to her citizens in the country. That is the major challenge currently staring Abuja in the face.
But then, if it properly puts her strength and endowments in use, Nigeria may not lose much in calling South Africa to order, once and for all.
