Ghanaians Protesting Against South Africa (Photo courtesy of People’s Gazette Nigeria) This is a show of dissent against South Africa’s xenophobia.
South Africa’s xenophobia has drawn the attention of everyone on the continent. And the rest of the world is watching.
For a good part of this year, South Africa’s vigilante groups have been terrorizing African migrants in the country. They have looted their businesses, harassed them at their living places, and killed some.
Meanwhile, South African companies investing in other African countries continue to rake in millions of dollars. They continue to repatriate the millions of dollars they earn in those countries.
South Africa’s Xenophobia Ignores South Africa’s History
African countries are now exasperated. They have been supportive of South Africans since the days of South African apartheid.
For instance, the Blacks who dared escape the murderous South African regime found refuge in other African countries. Some received their education in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and other neighboring countries.
Still, others received education in far off Nigeria, Ghana, and other African countries. They would receive their education, find jobs, and sometimes bring up their families in those countries.
Now, South African Blacks seem to have turned against their very African benefactors. They are discriminating against the people who helped them when the White regime discriminated against them.
Africa is Fed-up with South Africa’s Xenophobia
Yesterday, Ghanaians took to the streets of Accra to protest South Africa’s xenophobic behavior.
They directed their dissent to government ministries, demanding that Ghana take retaliatory action against South Africa (S.A.). Specifically, they took their petition to Ghana’s Land ministry, Foreign ministry, and Jubilee House, the President’s official residence.
The Ghanaian protesters wanted South African investors out of Ghana forthwith. Incidentally, they mentioned Gold Fields by name. Gold Fields is a South African company that has a vast gold mining portfolio in Ghana.
The Ghanaian protesters demanded that the government cancel Gold Field’s licenses, and leave Ghanaians to invest in the gold mining business.
Currently, Ghana leads Africa in gold production, and Gold Fields earns billions of dollars from it. For perspective, Ghana is the 6th world’s producer of gold, rating behind only China, Russia, the US, Canada and Australia.
Ghana’s policy for foreign investors is to give a minimum of 10% shareholding to locals. However, tables are about to turn for Gold Fields, thanks to South Africa’s xenophobia. Last year’s chunk from Ghana’s $20 billion gold earnings might be the last big foreign earning to write home about.
Other South African Companies under Threat
The protesting Ghanaians called upon their country people and others of goodwill to also boycott MTN, DSTV, Shoprite, and Mr. Price. These are South African giant companies that have reaped great profits from African countries over the years.
Did South Africa Bite More than it could Chew?
Although South Africa’s leadership says it is against xenophobia, there is a lot to make the victims skeptical.
How come the government still recognizes and retains a political party that has overtly expressed xenophobia? That is the kind of party Operation Dudula is.
How come the South African Police (SAP) watched without action as hateful protestors looted migrant-owned businesses this week ?
How come the SAP did nothing as the xenophobic protestors threatened business owners who have employed documented migrants?
As a result of South Africa’s complacency, the subtle hatred successive governments watched brew over the years has metamorphosed. It has outgrown the purported fight for domestic economic welfare and become outright xenophobia.
Yet South Africa hardly seems to realize that actions have consequences. This time around, the xenophobic treatment of other Africans has attracted retaliatory calls. In fact, the war South Africa started is now threatening to become a continental economic war.
What South Africa Needs To Know
This spirit of retaliation Ghana expressed yesterday might spread to Nigeria, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and other countries. In fact, every country evacuating its citizens from South Africa might just retaliate.
Obviously, if that happens, South African investors are going to lose more abroad than gold mining licenses. As it were, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Trade has said that retaliating against South Africa is “not off the table”.
Incidentally, with regards to trade, South Africa depends on the rest of Africa more than these countries depend on it.
Nevertheless, it is unfortunate that South Africa’s xenophobia is threatening to isolate the country from the rest of Africa.
These countries supported economic sanctions against the apartheid regime when it dehumanized the South African Blacks. Their support complemented South Africa’s domestic struggle until racial oppression became untenable.
Hence, it is sad for Africa to find itself in the current position. It is an unfortunate situation where economic disintegration is about to replace economic integration SADC exemplifies.
Moreover, xenophobia is no better than racial discrimination.