Federal Government on Tuesday pleaded with Nigerians against carrying out retaliation against South Africans and their interests in Nigeria over serial attacks on its citizens. But many fear escalated strain in the diplomatic relationship between the two countries going forward, despite the pleas.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, after meeting with President Muhammmadu Buhari, ruled out reciprocal actions against the current attacks targeted at the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians living in South Africa, and huge destruction of their property.
The Foreign Affairs Minister stood on assurances by South African government to strengthen measures that would forestall any future attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.
“We don’t believe that two wrongs make right. I think in terms of revenge on those kind of attack is not what we are looking forward to, the South African government has assured us that they are doing everything possible to address the situation; that they are equally exasperated by the whole event,” he told State House Correspondents after the meeting.
Despite such a sentiment by the Nigerian government, an irate group of protesters late Tuesday laid sieged to the Shoprite outlets at Circle Mall, Jakande, Lekki, Lagos, in retaliation to the xenophobic attacks.
The protesters practically disrupted regular flow of business, leading to the shutdown of the store, a video posted on Twitter by @TheViralTrends shows. There were signs of heavy smoke sprouting from possible burning of tires within the vicinity of the Mall.
Earlier on Tuesday, a lady with the Twitter handle @MegRicketts staged a one man protest at the Shoprite outlet on Adeniran Ogunsanya, in Surulere, a suburb of Lagos, calling for an end to the killing of Nigerians.
But there have been wide condemnations, following days of looting and attacks on foreign nationals and their businesses in Gauteng, South Africa this week.
The allegedly co-ordinated attacks have seen residents going on the rampage, looting foreign-owned businesses in Tembisa, Alexandra, Hillbrow, Cleveland, Jeppestown, and the Johannesburg Central Business District since Sunday.
The violence continued on Tuesday, spreading to other areas including Germiston on the East Rand. Videos posted on social media showed people pelting those described as “Nigerians” with stones and hounding them out of their hiding places as they pleaded for mercy.
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, expressed deep concerns over the reported attacks on Nigerian citizens and property in South Africa since August 29, 2019.
Buhari also directed Onyeama to summon the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria to get a brief on the situation, express Nigeria’s displeasure over the treatment of her citizens, and also get assurance of the safety of their lives and property.
The President also announced he was dispatching a Special Envoy to meet with the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday.
Onyeama said two key demands would be pursued by the envoy including; “the compensation payment and security mechanism to be put in place to forestall future attacks.
“We need to have a viable mechanism in place. Like I have said one of the possibilities that we are proposing is to have some Nigerian security operatives working with the South African police and attached to the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa,” he added.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, also condemned the attacks describing it as “careless and reckless.”
“It is unfortunate because Nigeria and Nigerians invested a great deal in the pulling down of apartheid. Besides, these acts of bigotry are entirely contrary to the very ideals that all the great South African leaders, including the present President, fought for, and for which many gave their lives,” Osinbajo said while speaking from Kano.
“Mr President has already spoken about this; and obviously we are very concerned and certainly intend to take this up with the authorities in South Africa in order to ensure that this sort of thing does not repeat itself. This is absolutely unacceptable and unconscionable.”
The leading South African telecoms operator MTN also strongly condemned xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other foreigners in South Africa after days of unrelenting mobs visited mayhem on immigrants there.
“We strongly condemn prejudice and xenophobia and we reiterate our unequivocal condemnation of any and all violence. As a leading pan-African telecommunications company with operations in 21 countries, MTN believes in the potential of an Africa whose nations pursue deeper trade, integration and co-operation.
“We actively encourage the dialogue necessary to maintain peace and sustain strong relationships and urge all our customers and stakeholders to support and defend the principles of human rights, diversity and inclusion and an integrated collaborative Africa.”
Pay television service giant, MultiChoice (owners of DSTV) also condemned the ongoing violence against foreign nationals in some South African cities, saying it is counter-productive to the efforts of African leaders and well-meaning organisations to unite the African continent.
MultiChoice made its position known in a statement issued in Lagos yesterday. Signed by John Ugbe, Chief Executive Officer, the statement said: “We advocate equality and condemn all forms of discrimination. The ongoing violence in South Africa against foreign nationals is against the spirit of Africa and counter-productive to the decades of work done by African leaders and well-meaning organisations to unite the continent.”
On Monday evening, ANC secretary-general, Ace Magashule called for peace and stability, saying: “We condemn this violence irrespective of whatever reasons people want to give.”
On Tuesday, ANC MP and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Inkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, said in a statement that the violence against foreign nationals in Johannesburg and Pretoria was “deplorable” … We call on the law enforcement authorities to act swiftly to nip this total disregard for the rule of law, disregard for private property and human dignity, in the bud”.
The violence, looting and destruction needed to stop as it is an assault on all South Africans, Africans and humanity, said Mandela. SA government spokesperson Phumla Williams could not be immediately be reached for comment.
Also on Tuesday, the Federal Government vowed to take more stringent measures to tackle the incessant xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa ‘once and for all’.
Minister Onyeama said this as he summoned the South African Acting High Commissioner to Nigeria, Bobby Moroe to his office in Abuja to explain reasons for the protracted attacks against Nigerians.
Onyeama said that the federal government felt that definite measures had to be taken once and for all to stop the aggression and criminalities perpetrated against Nigerians, adding that the Nigerian government was determined to ensure a stop to this and put in place measures to ensure it does not recur.
Responding, the South African Head of Mission to Nigeria, Bobby Moroe, said that the South Africa government is proposing that the Nigerian police force be posted as attaché’ to the Nigerian mission in South Africa to help create a cordial relationship with the South African Police towards addressing the matter.
He said the attacks were not xenophobic but ‘sporadic acts of violence’ adding that businesses belonging to other South Africans were also affected by the violence. He denied that the attacks were xenophobic stressing that they were not targeted at Nigerians.
The envoy noted that the South African government had condemned the use of violence and crime to address alleged grievances perpetrated by foreigners in the country even as it reiterated its determination to halt the incessant attacks against foreigners in South Africa.
He added that his country was determined to address the matter and warned the media against fake news.
The President of the Nigeria Union South Africa (NUSA), Adetola Olubajo, also raised alarm earlier on Monday, September 2, 2019, over attacks by South Africans on foreigners, including Nigerians, and their businesses, which were being looted and burnt.
He said mobs launched attacks on foreigners in the Jeppestown area of Johannesburg, South Africa’s biggest city, on Sunday, September 1, leaving three dead. Olubajo said over 50 places of business were destroyed, looted and burnt over the night by the mob that only targeted foreign nationals.
“The means of livelihood of people were looted and destroyed by fire overnight which has left many Nigerians traumatized. “Nigerian-owned businesses were seriously affected. A car sales business owned by a Nigerian was among the several businesses set ablaze over the night.
These attacks have continued despite the diplomatic effort being made by the Nigerian government and the assurances of the South African government.
A civil society organisation, The Integrity Friends for Truth and Peace Initiative (TIFPI), has accused the government of Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa of alleged complicity in the xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other foreigners in South Africa.
The group in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Executive Director, Livingstone Wechie, also called on the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU) and other International organisations to impose sanctions on South Africa in order to force it to stop the xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other nationals in the former apartheid enclave.
Wechie expressed regrets that the South African Authorities have allegedly played to the gallery to supply arsenals to prosecute and mobilise the xenophobic attacks on foreigners particularly Nigerians, causing Africa to mourn in South Africa without justification.
TIFPI said that it was the duty of allied nations including international organisations like the United Nations, African Union, etc to intervene by firstly taking strong uncompromising measures including sanctions against the Cyril Ramaphosa-led South African government for alleged complicity in the menace.
The Senate President, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, expressed deep concern while condemning the rising xenophobic attacks targeted at foreign nationals in South Africa in which Nigerians have been major victims.
Lawan, who registered his disapproval on the incessant attacks, noted that Nigeria has had enough of its citizens being targets of these attacks, even as he noted that Nigeria will no longer tolerate hate crimes in any form against its citizens who are doing legitimate businesses in that country.
“Every step necessary must be taken in protecting law-abiding foreigners, including Nigerians, and their businesses from hate crimes in South Africa,” Lawan said.
“Xenophobic violence is most condemnable anywhere, more so in South Africa, a country whose citizens benefited from the support and solidarity of Africans and freedom lovers across the world in their historic struggle against apartheid.”
Describing the attack at more disturbing, Lawan noted that these attacks indicate the neglect of educating the younger generations on the sacrifices that Africans proudly made towards expunging the scourges of colonialism and apartheid from their continent.
“The enormous contributions of Nigeria to this historic struggle is underscored by its recognition as a frontline state in the prolonged confrontation against the powerful racist regime that had held generations of Southern Africans in bondage and subhuman conditions.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives who is currently attending the 50th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Tanzania, indicated the lower house may cut short its annual recess and reconvene at least for a day to address the ongoing xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
“Will be cutting short my trip to Tanzania for the 50th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference @CPA_Secretariat and will be leaving today, for the leadership of the @HouseNGR to consider cutting short the recess and reconvening for one day to address the killings of Nigerians in SA,” Gbajabiamila stated via his official twitter handle.
Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly condemned the recent South African xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals, particularly on Nigerians, their property and businesses.
APC said as a party, it was deeply saddened by these unwarranted attacks and emphasised that Nigeria deserved better from South Africa, as it was too early for South Africans to forget their country’s history.
Lanre Issa- Onilu, APC National Publicity Secretary in statement noted that many of the key players in the struggle against apartheid were still alive and active in the country’s national affairs, and wondered why there is a conspiracy of silence on their part.
“The barbaric attack on citizens of other countries points to a failure of leadership. South African leaders cannot exonerate themselves from this cowardly act,” he said.
The APC Spokesperson called on the South African ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) to urgently step in as the killings are completely at variance with what the party stood for and the ANC government could no longer pretend about the obvious contradiction.
“The violence being meted to Nigerians under ANC calls to question the very essence of the struggle against apartheid in which Nigeria was a frontline ally of South Africa. How can those who supported you and made huge sacrifices for your freedom become fair games to be murdered in cold blood?
“We assure Nigerians that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration would continue to take decisive measures. The safety of Nigerians – home and abroad – is non-negotiable to the APC administration,” Issa-Onilu said.
Tony Ailemen & Innocent Odoh, Abuja, Temitayo Ayetoto, Lagos
