The
Zulu King, Goodwill Zwelithi, stoked the embers of discord and violence
when he called for the deportation of foreign nationals living in South
Africa, saying that it was unacceptable that locals were being made to
compete with people from other countries for the few economic
opportunities available. What’s with kings and unguarded utterances in
recent times? In the meantime, what started as a form of growing
discontent and grumblings among the people living in the poor regions of
South Africa has quickly escalated into a full blown massacre of other
black Africans, no thanks to the King’s statement.
It is no
secret that South Africa is a top travel destination within the African
continent due to its proximity and developed infrastructure compared to
other African countries. It is the America of the African continent, as
it is seen as a land of opportunity where many troop to in a bid to make
something of their lives. The Rainbow nation as it is fondly called has
become a magnet of sorts for other Africans as well as people from
other continents because of its beautiful tourist attractions and
multicultural diversity. The “Mzansi’s” are aware that there is
something about their country that makes every other African country
look up to them, which perhaps explains why they appear to have an air
of arrogance which makes them look down on the rest of the continent.
The
issue of xenophobia which has led to attacks on fellow Africans in
South Africa and has got the whole world buzzing today isn’t new. It
dates back several years. Hundreds of black foreigners in South Africa
have been senselessly killed over the years, with the South African
government doing little to put an end to the recurring incidents. In the
latest attacks, a couple of countries whose citizens had been killed in
the troubled areas of South Africa have responded by evacuating and
repatriating their citizens from the country. Thankfully, no Nigerian
has been killed in these attacks but we certainly do not need to wait
until that happens before a proactive measure is taken.
Over
time, the relationship between Nigeria and South Africa has become
frosty, with a couple of diplomatic rows recorded between the two
countries in the past few years. The problem of xenophobia only worsens
the situation. In a fit of anger, some Nigerians have opined that all
South African-owned businesses in Nigeria be shut down as a way of
paying back the South Africans in their own coin. I tended towards
agreeing with them at first until it occurred to me that that would be
tantamount to shooting oneself in the foot. The reality is that a
majority of the employees of the South African-owned companies here in
Nigeria are Nigerians and even though it is true that South Africa will
lose plenty of revenue should the Nigerian government clamp down on
their businesses, it is also equally true that Nigerians who earn a
living from these organisations would be rendered jobless and thrown
into the already saturated unemployment market, with the effect
trickling down to their many dependants. Boycotting the services of
these companies or shutting them down altogether only ends up creating
another major problem.
In view of all this, the perfect response
to the recurrent xenophobic attacks on other black Africans in South
Africa is to develop Nigeria to the extent where South Africa no longer
becomes an attractive prospect for the average Nigerian. For instance,
there is absolutely no reason why we cannot have an alternative to
MultiChoice that is enjoying a senseless monopoly at the moment. If the
power and health sectors are properly attended to, then we will have a
better country and our youths will not deem it necessary to search for
greener pastures elsewhere. We really cannot determine how someone else
treats us in their home but we can certainly do something about
improving our home to a respectable level.
Interestingly,
Nigeria and South Africa are similar in many aspects as both are the
largest economies in Africa and both are multi-ethnic societies with a
wide variety of cultures, languages and religions. However, Nigeria has
an edge having just overtaken South Africa as the largest economy in
Africa last year. Nigeria also has more human resources with a
population that triples that of South Africa, besides vast natural
resources that we are hugely endowed with. The question is what are we
doing to harness our human and material resources to benefit the people?
There is no reason why a country referred to as the “Giants of
Africa,” with all the resources at its disposal should not stand head
and shoulders above or at least be at par with South Africa given all
the indices, especially with the renewed hope that the just concluded
elections have evoked. I am aware that the fact that things getting
better in Nigeria does not automatically translate to people not
migrating to other countries any more, South Africa inclusive. Those who
have to live or work abroad will still do so, but this time round, they
will not be “running away” or leaving Nigeria out of frustration.
Nigerians
will only live abroad on their own terms and if for any reason they
have to return to their motherland, they would do so without batting an
eyelid and without fear or apprehension of what awaits them here.
Because they will be coming to back to a country they can be proud of. A
country where they certainly won’t be maltreated, harassed or treated
like second class citizens, for there is no place like home.
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