By. Ferdinand Ekeoma
Little over three year ago, I wrote a three-page piece captioned ” Xenophobuc Attack In South Africa And The Peace We Collectively Desire”. The article was in condemnation of the Xenophobic attack that took place in South Africa then. I concluded by highlighting the roles of Poverty, Unemployment, and Drug in causing the Xenophobic attack, and appealed to the South African government to take serious measures in curbing the above-mentioned scourges so as to prevent future occurrence.
Then, I assumed that the Xenophobic attack was a one-off crisis that took the South African government unawares, and that measures would be put in place to quickly prevent future occurrence.
Shockingly, there were subsequent xenophobic attacks that were reported every now and then. However, as disappointed and angry as I was, I assumed once again that the attacks were the fallout of the insensitivity of the inept and dangerously corrupt Jacob Zuma led government, and hoped that his successor would nip it in the bud.
Sadly, events of the last few weeks have proven that the South African government is not only unwilling to tame this continental disgrace, but have left no discerning mind in doubt that, their deviant and hateful citizens have their tacit state support in the unjust and unprovoked attack against fellow Africans.
The South African government and its officials have through gruesome execution of foreign African nationals by their Police, failure to save or protect foreigners from attack, and provocative official statements issued in the last few day passed a strong message of rejection and hate to other African countries, and it’s up to serious nations to see the message for what it represents and act accordingly.
The protest today by armed South African youths calling on foreigners to leave tbeir country should awaken the consciousness of the Nigerian government. It should remind us that serious danger lies ahead should we fail to act rightly, therefore, we should for once be less active in rhetoric and proactive in action.
We must consider this a serious emergency that must be treated with all the seriousness it requires.
We should without further delay initiate a strategy and begin a process of evacuation and rehabilitation of our citizens who are willing to return.
A special delegation charged with the responsibility of evacuating our citizens must be deployed to South Africa to meet with Nigerians and educate them on the danger of staying behind in South, but this should be after last minute diplomatic engagements with the South African government which must firmly enter into a serious commitment to protect Nigerians would have taken place.
I can’t pretend not to understand the enormity of this task on the side of both the government and our citizens in South Africa, but it is said that “In extreme cases, extreme measures are taken”
For our citizens in South Africa, this is a sad reality they must accept. It’s not their fault, forget the useless excuses being given by South Africans for the attack. It’s all about laziness, envy and incompetent government.
People from different parts of the world commit crimes in the US, Europe, Australia, and even in the most undemocratic countries in Asia, yet, they are not confronted with this kind of Stone Age collective annihilation.
I can’t count the number of innocent Nigerians murdered in South Africa in the last few months, even before the latest xenophobic attack started.
Just a few days ago, Mrs. Elizabeth Obianuju Ndubuisi-Chukwu, who was until her gruesome murder in South Africa, was the Deputy Director of the Chattered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, was buried at her country home in the Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Mrs. Ndubuisi was in South Africa for a conference before her lifeless body was found in her hotel room.
Autopsy carried out by the Nigerian embassy indicated that she was strangled to death. That is what has become of South Africa; violence and criminality.
A particular philosopher said that ” Nothing in life is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity”. Nigerians living in South Africa must not be thrilled by the fantasy of assuming that they have the population or capacity to confront and defeat South Africans in their own country; that’s an impossibility. So they must begin to face the very sad and devastating reality, that, South Africa is not safe for them, and thus can’t serve as their second home.
It’s going to be very painful and difficult for most of our brothers and sisters living in South Africa, a country most of them already consider their home, but they must not forget that it’s only the living that engages in business and other economic activities.
The truth is that, South Africa will never remain the same, because the ANC led government has lost track heavily. Corruption has eaten deep, and it’s getting worse by the day. I’m convinced that if not for the presence of white South Africans, the country would have been worse than Nigeria, of course, the economy built by the Whites was the alluring factor for the migration of our citizens to the former apartheid nation in the first place. Shamefully, it appears that Black South African government wants to destroy their country, and put the blame on others.
The APC national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomele has on behalf of the APC NWC made some very important submissions/suggestions to the very government on the measures to be taken against South Africa, which if taken would not only send serious message to South Africa, but would help cushion the effect of the attack on Nigerians who may have lost their properties and investments in South Africa
South Africans have in an unambiguous manner passed their message across to Nigerians and other Africans, it’s up to us to prove that we got the message, and treat it with the urgency and seriousness it requires.
