During the apartheid era in South Africa, Nigeria was one of the foremost supporters of anti-apartheid movements, including the African National Congress; the Nigerian government issued more than 300 passports to South Africans seeking to travel abroad.[2] Sonny Okosun, a Nigerian musician, wrote the hit song “Fire in Soweto” in 1977 to commemorate the 1976 Soweto uprising against apartheid in South Africa.[3]

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has confirmed the attack on Nigerians in South Africa as well as the looting of businesses belonging to them.

Onyeama, who confirmed the development in a tweet on Monday, said the Nigerian Government will take decisive measures in dealing with the matter.

He said, “Received sickening and depressing news of continued burning and looting of Nigerian shops and premises in #SouthAfrica by mindless criminals with ineffective police protection.

“Enough is enough. We will take definitive measures.”

Footage surfaced on Monday afternoon of widespread attacks on Nigerians and their businesses in South Africa.

Reacting to the incident, Nigerians on Twitter called on the government to take urgent steps to address the situation before things gets out of control.

A Twitter user with the handle @Eleventhmen said, “What South Africans are doing is wrong. It is time for our politicians to engage with our communities.

“It is inhumane to have Africans attacked like this.”

According to another user @badmanzeal, “Whatever the issues are, this is not right. This is unacceptable, this violates everything that makes us human. #Xenophobia must be addressed.”

Reacting to the incident, @DavidJhornsby said, “Really difficult and heart-wrenching news coming out of South Africa.

“Violence against foreigners has been a national crisis for too long and it must stop.”

Following the end of apartheid in 1994, South African businesses sought for professionals to immigrate and a large number of Nigerians did so.[2] It is estimated that there were 24,000 Nigerians living in South Africa in 2011.[4]

Much of South Africa’s good will towards Nigerians for supporting the ANC during apartheid has disappeared due to the activities of Nigerian organized crime in the country.[5] Nigerian organised crime groups, mostly involved in illegal drug trafficking, in South Africa grew rapidly between 1994 and 1998.[6][7]

Increasing competition between the two countries for positions at multilateral organizations is also thought to have worsened relations. Nigeria acted against South Africa to replace the incumbent Jean Ping, who Nigeria supports, with South African Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for the powerful position of the African Union Commission chairperson.[8] Relations further deteriorated when South Africa backed incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo for control of Côte d’Ivoire in 2011.[8] However, after Dlamini-Zuma won the election Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru stated that although Nigeria supported Ping for the position of AU chairperson in “a position which was principled along with our ECOWAS members and we stood by it. But as usual, people can insinuate that once Nigeria was not in the camp of South Africa, it means that Nigeria is against South Africa. We are not against South Africa”

In November 2009, South Africa hosted the South Africa-Nigeria Bi-National Commission in Pretoria. At the conference, it was noted that Oando, an energy conglomerate based in Lagos had recently been listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and the Nigeria-based Dangote Group had invested a record $378 million in South Africa’s cement industry. In 2008, approximately $2.1 billion was traded between the two states.[12] By 2012 total bilateral trade had increased to $3.6 billion.

In 2012 83% of trade was taken up by South African imports of Nigerian crude oil. Between 2002 and 2012 South African imports from Nigeria have increased by 750% (mostly increases in oil imports) whilst Nigerian imports from South Africa have increased by 130%.[13] The Nigeria – South Africa Chamber of Commerce serves to improve and facilitate bi-lateral trade relationships between Nigeria and South Africa. Its offices are in Lagos, Nigeria and it has in its membership 315 companies currently trading in both Nigeria and South Africa. It is made up of blue-chip companies, Nigerian companies and South African companies.

Nigerian businesspeople have expressed concern over the pace and perceived rapid expansion of South African business interests in the country.

 

 

A cross-section of Nigerians on Monday lamented on social media over a recent attack on Nigerians in South Africa.

DAILY POST reports that viral videos on Monday showed widespread attacks on Nigerians and their businesses in South Africa.

The President of the Nigeria Union South Africa (NUSA), Adetola Olubajo who confirmed the development to NAN said on Monday that 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. But the Police later dispersed the mob and made some arrest.

“Late in the evening of Sunday, Sept. 1, a group of violent locals suspected to be Zulu hostel dwellers besieged Jules Street in Malvern, Johannesburg looted and burned shops/businesses,’’ he said in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Reactions have continued to trail the development on social media as Nigerians expressed sadness over the development, calling on the present administration to secure Nigerians.

Here are some comments gathered by DAILY POST from Twitter:

@Is_salsu “This Xenophobia attack on Nigerians in South Africa is saddening. Our brothers and sisters do not deserve this no matter what.”

@Royaltyuso “Nigeria cannot even vex and ask her citizens to return home. Nigerians in the diaspora will rather face hell abroad than return to Nigeria. The harsh reality of a failed nation.”

@Yohanloyal “South Africans call our Nigerian brothers criminals but see them. Bloody hungry people. No food when there is no attack on foreigners.”

@Localblack_man “Dear South Africans, Let’s all learn how to love and uplift one another as Africans, don’t forget there are South Africans in other countries. Let love reign.”

@Onyiiforlife “This is unacceptable. We can’t have this Xenophobia attacks happening. Right now it is out of control.”

@Odun42000 “South African owned companies in Nigeria are the most patronized among their equals e.g. MTN, DSTV, Shoprite etc and Nigerians never hated or harm their people nor their properties. Stop killing/hurting your fellow Africans, we are one Africa stop Xenophobia.”

@Frank_Leahxv “Nigerians have accommodated other countries in the past and it never leads to unnecessary killings, see South Africa wey just blow yesterday are now killing Nigerians because they want them out of their country. Make them know to say this world dey revolve o.”

@Makanakii “I’m black and Nigerian, you are black and South African… we are both black, Don’t attack me, I’m your brother!!! Let love reign, allow me in your home and come to mine too!

@MrUcheya “If our govt could be a bit more responsive, I don’t think this bloodthirsty South Africans would be killing our brothers in their land. South Africans are the most miserable people on earth. How do u sleep after killing your type?

@Stevehezy “Burning of humans? And you think this is right? You are just a murderer, nothing more to this. stop Xenophobia.”

@Anulikay “For a nation that suffered racial segregation/apartheid for almost fifty years, I find it quite inhumane that South Africans have no qualms meeting the same to others. Especially, as a nation that had to rely on aid from other African countries.”

@Yungtunesneh “Africans hating on Africans. Stop xenophobia now.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, reacting to the attack in a tweet on his official Twitter page on Monday, said the Nigerian Government will take decisive measures on the issue.

He said, “Received sickening and depressing news of continued burning and looting of Nigerian shops and premises in South Africa by mindless criminals with ineffective police protection. Enough is enough. We will take definitive measures.”