South Africa has become uncomfortable and unsafe for Africans from other parts of the continent. Now, Nigeria has advised its citizens to leave the country at the earliest opportunity.
Resurgence of Xenophobia
South Africa, a country that until 1994 was under apartheid, has had ugly episodes of xenophobia over the years. In 2008, for instance, around a hundred thousand (100,000) migrants were displaced. In the same period, almost 700 others were injured, while 62 died in related skirmishes.
At the time, the black South Africans involved in the attacks mainly targeted their immediate neighbours. Many victims were from Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique. The disgruntled attackers were Black South Africans from poor neighbourhoods.
When their expectations of the post-apartheid era fell extremely short, they blamed the African foreigners. They believed they would have had better economic fortunes without their fellow neighbours bringing in competition.
Poor Townships Are Not Much Better
Following the 2008 bloody attacks, many African migrants left South Africa. Even then, not much has changed economically with regards to South Africa’s poor neighbourhoods.
In 2015, another xenophobic wave swept the country. This one was said to have been instigated by Goodwill Zwelithini, a Zulu King. It is said he incited the locals into chasing away the foreigners, whom he termed “lice” and “ticks”.
Although the Zulu King denied having incited locals against foreigners, the attacks did not stop completely. The hatred was felt for three years after that. Even in the years that followed, there have always been sporadic xenophobic-related incidents in South Africa.
Recent Ugly Incidents Associated with Xenophobia
In recent days, South Africa has witnessed ugly incidents of xenophobia. West Africans from Ghana and Nigeria have reported that their businesses are being targeted. Whereas those may be the most vocal, other Africans have apparently not been spared.
However, even without effectively stopping the xenophobic incidents, at least President Ramaphosa has acknowledged and condemned the attacks. Unlike President Trump, who is the instigator of anti-immigrant sentiments in the US, Ramaphosa links the hateful attacks to political opportunists.
African countries have acknowledged the risk involved based on South Africa’s history of xenophobia. Consequently, they have been monitoring the situation closely and advising their citizens accordingly.
Kenya, for example, has issued an advisory to its citizens in South Africa, asking them to be vigilant. As for Nigeria, it has advised its citizens to leave the country at their earliest convenience.