South Africa has often been in the news for xenophobia, mainly against Africans. This is especially true when looking at how Nigerians are treated there.... CLICK TO READ THE FULL NEWS HERE▶▶
For example, Chidinma, a mixed-race contestant with a Nigerian father and a South African mother, faced backlash in her bid to become Miss South Africa.
On the other hand, Xiaomei Havard, who is Asian and married to a South African, was welcomed into South Africa’s Parliament. This difference in treatment raises questions about why South Africans might be unfair to other Africans, especially Nigerians.
Many Nigerians living in South Africa are scared for their safety. They face accusations on social media of stealing jobs from South Africans.
Yet, Nigeria helped South Africa with about $61 billion during its struggle against apartheid. Nelson Mandela must be rolling in his grave.
A Look Back at History
During apartheid, Nigeria supported South Africa’s fight against this harsh system of racial segregation. After the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960, Nigeria’s then Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, helped push South Africa out of the Commonwealth in 1961.
He also financially supported South African freedom fighters, totalling about $5 million every year in the 1970s.
In 1976, Nigeria set up a fund called the Southern Africa Relief Fund (SAFR) to help victims of apartheid. This fund helped South African students get free education in Nigeria and supported other welfare initiatives.
Nigerians, including government officials and everyday citizens, donated money to this cause, showing their support for South Africa.
Unfortunately, our brothers and sisters in South Africa have not shown enough appreciation to Nigeria. When Mandela passed away in 2013, Nigeria`s president was not even given the opportunity to speak.
Nor was Zambia`s former president Kenneth Kaunda, whose country equally played a big role in liberating South Africa, initially given the deserved privilege to speak, until he protested before his death in.
Sonny Okosun, a Nigerian musician, who wrote the hit song “Fire in Soweto” in 1977 to commemorate the 1976 Soweto uprising against apartheid in the country, voiced out his sadness and lamented on the alleged gratefulness of the South African government to the roles Nigeria played in liberating the country from the apartheid web.
A Lack of Gratitude?
Despite Nigeria’s significant support, some feel South Africa has not fully recognized what Nigeria and other African countries did to help end apartheid.
This issue came up when Nigerian and Zambian leaders were not given a chance to speak at Nelson Mandela’s funeral. Furthermore, Nigerians still need visas to visit the country, unlike citizens from some countries that supported apartheid
Do South Africans who have rather chosen the part of xenophobia and antagonism against their African brothers and sisters really know their history?
