Xenophobic attacks: South Africa risks becoming a pariah state once again

By Charles Kumolu, 

MaTaZ ArIsInG
Dallas, Texas

Xenophobic attacks: ‘Nigerians always first suspects even when other Africans commit crime’— Onyekwelu, President-General, Nigerian group in S/Africa

Deputy Editor South Africa is once again edging towards pariah status, not globally as it did during the apartheid era, but within Africa itself. 

Unlike the past, when apartheid made the country a target of international condemnation, South Africa’s current xenophobic posture towards African nationals has sparked widespread outrage across the continent.

The wave of solidarity shown to Mexico during last Thursday’s World Cup match against South Africa underscored the depth of resentment many Africans now feel towards a nation they once supported in its struggle against decades of white minority rule. 

For many, it was a symbolic expression of disappointment with a country that benefited immensely from African solidarity but is now turning against fellow Africans.

As African countries evacuate their citizens in response to sustained xenophobic attacks and threats, the President-General of the Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa, NICASA, Mr. Frank Onyekwelu, in this interview, discusses  how the crisis is affecting Nigerian migrants. 

He also assesses the responses of South African and Nigerian governments, suggesting measures that could help prevent  recurrence of xenophobic attacks.

How is NICASA dealing with the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other Africans?

The situation is still tense, even though we can confirm that the first batch of repatriated Nigerians arrived in Nigeria last Thursday. Despite that, you can still hear people making threats. In some places and provinces, you can still hear them threatening that there is no going back on their June 30 order for immigrants to leave South Africa. Though the threats are not coming from government, they are creating panic and insecurity within the communities of African migrants. South African government has issued statements condemning the threats, but we have not yet seen proactive and decisive actions to douse the tension and discourage the issuance of threats against foreign African nationals.

From the xenophobic videos seen so far, and eyewitnesses accounts, South Africans are very particular about Nigerians. Why is that so?

Nigerians are very prominent wherever they are. They are go-getters; they are hardworking, courageous, and bold. This has made them  to be seen as the number one threat to every group or gathering in South Africa. When this situation occurs, Nigerians are always the target. It is the same negative narrative that is being propagated about Nigerians. It is known that Nigerians are people whom you can place in an area that is not productive and, through hard work, they will turn it into a place of prosperity and a major hub for creativity. The tenacity and hardworking spirit of Nigerians have made people see them as a threat. Many Nigerians are successful wherever they are. In South Africa, it is the same thing because people want to connect with Nigerians. No matter how dry a place is, Nigerians explore opportunities and create wealth. These are some of the things that have generated this stereotype against them. Even if another African national does something, Nigerians are the first people to be called suspects. At the end of the day, it may be discovered that the person who committed the crime is not a Nigerian, and no apology will be offered. That is the situation we find ourselves in.

What has been the specific experience of Nigerians in this current crisis?

Some Nigerians in various provinces were affected. Some had their means of livelihood either destroyed or looted. There were those whose shops were closed down. Some individuals experienced harassment, while others were beaten up. The experiences vary from area to area.

Beyond this, were Nigerians killed?

When it comes to loss of life, you should note that since last year, no fewer than 20 Nigerians have died at the hands of South African authorities, including the South African Police, investigative authorities, the army, or anti-migrant groups. Since March, we have recorded brutality, harassment, and intimidation, but none of these incidents has resulted in death. They mostly resulted in people going to the hospital to treat their injuries.

In recent weeks, in different provinces, Nigerians have been accused of various offences. In the process, attempts are made to extract information from them forcefully, and sometimes they are presumed guilty regardless of the facts. An accused person is innocent until proven guilty, but in our case, you will find people who are not government officials invading people’s homes and accusing them of selling drugs. They tell them that if they do not produce the drugs, they will be beaten up. Sometimes they tell people that if they are not selling drugs, it would not be possible for them to own the type of cars they drive or live in the type of apartments they occupy.

Even if you are conducting a legitimate business and possess genuine documents, they will not listen to you. They end up beating you up or even trying to strangle you to extract information. In the process, the person sustains injuries and may succumb to death. During the current March on March protest, however, we only recorded cases of brutality.

We learnt that some Nigerians who reside in white-dominated areas are not affected. Does it mean that the crisis doesn’t affect the generality of Nigerians in South Africa?

The challenge we are having is black against black. It is outright hatred of fellow blacks. The protest against foreign nationals in South Africa is not directed at all immigrants in South Africa. I am talking about Indians, Chinese, Pakistanis, and people from other parts of the world, including Europeans. It is directly targeted at African migrants in South Africa.

There are areas predominantly occupied by whites. You do not see these incidents in such areas because those involved know how whites respond to them. They do not take it lightly. They fight back strongly. As a result, they target black Africans. They go to areas where blacks are in the majority and start threatening them. They ask questions such as: Where are your documents? Why did you come to this country? How did you manage to make money and buy the type of car you drive?

They are envious of their fellow Africans. Whoever is sponsoring this does not mean well for Africa. We can read between the lines that there are sponsors of this hatred. It has never really stopped since 2008. Xenophobia and Afrophobia have continued to grow in South Africa since then. Sometimes it subsides, but after a year or two, something triggers it again, especially whenever elections are approaching.

That is when you hear some people making nasty statements that Africans are responsible for the state of the economy. They claim that Africans are the reason they do not have jobs and the reason their women are involved with other black Africans. Someone makes a political statement, and it leads to Afrophobia and xenophobic attacks. There are people living in white-dominated areas who may not understand what we are talking about because it is not happening in their area or province.

The notion out there is that African leaders have not really given the issue the appropriate response. In fact, their response is believed to fall short of what is required in such a situation. What can you say about that?

African countries have not really stood up to condemn xenophobic attacks. We have not seen them coming up with a strong response because of what is being done to other Africans. It was only recently that we saw Ghana raise its voice. It went as far as reporting the matter to the African Union. I understand that it is now on the African Union’s agenda as one of the issues for discussion.

Nigeria is now repatriating its nationals. Malawi is doing the same thing. Mozambique has done the same thing. Imagine if all these countries stood up and said that South Africa would no longer do business in their countries. Imagine that that they  asked all South African citizens to return home.

MTN generates enormous profits in Nigeria, yet Nigerians are poorly treated. Since the March protest started, has MTN issued a statement condemning xenophobia? DStv is there, and Stanbic Bank is also there. In Ghana, they are considering not renewing the licence of a South African gold mining company because of what black South Africans have done to other African nationals.

Africans are yet to rise to the occasion. We are not calling for retaliation. However, if peace cannot be achieved through dialogue or bilateral agreements, African countries may eventually resort to reciprocal measures.

You live in South Africa and understand how South Africans  are wired there. Xenophobia has become synonymous with South Africa, and xenophobic attacks have become recurring. In light of this, do you see xenophobia becoming a thing of the past?

We can say that it may happen in the near future, but I cannot say when, because it did not start today. It happened in 2008, again in 2015, in 2019, in 2022, and it has resurfaced in 2026. Unless drastic measures are taken, I cannot say with certainty that it will not happen again.

The measures should not exist only on paper but should involve concrete actions from the top to the grassroots. We have heard the President of South Africa make statements; now we are expecting action.

Who is taking responsibility for the damages, including loss of lives and livelihoods?

When decisive action is taken against perpetrators, they will stop. As much as I agree that protesting is a constitutional right, decisive action would serve as a deterrent. There is a point where protests must stop. You cannot claim to be protesting while looting shops in the presence of the police.

Imagine someone stealing a casket during a protest. To what level have we degraded? We have the right to protest against bad governance, but not to turn it into vigilantism and target foreign nationals and their businesses. Until governments, whether in Nigeria, South Africa, or elsewhere in Africa, address the issue decisively, it may not stop anytime soon.

Are you satisfied with the response of  federal government, and how are you handling the repatriation exercise?

Human beings will never be fully satisfied, no matter how much assistance they receive. On Wednesday, I was at the Nigerian High Commission during preparations for the first batch of evacuees to depart. The people on the ground were doing their best.

Our High Commission in Pretoria, our Consulate Office in Johannesburg, and other officials involved were doing their best. Some of them slept in Pretoria and have not gone home for the past week to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

We agree that some of the prospective returnees came from distant locations, but the truth is that  federal government has provided them with the option of returning home on a free flight. The only thing expected of them is to register their names and undergo screening. However, some expected the government to accommodate them in hotels when they arrived. Who does that? People should take responsibility.

When I went to find out what was happening, I fuelled my  car and drove there. I am a community leader serving the people, and I am not paid for it. I use my own resources for the benefit of others. Yet some people came and were expecting five-star treatment.

To the best of my knowledge, all the officials involved, including South African officials, are doing their best. The screening continued until Saturday, yesterday. People should be patient and comply with all the repatriation guidelines.

I hope that Nigerian government will assist them in reintegrating into society. I am not saying that their daily needs should be provided indefinitely, but they should be helped to start over again. There is nowhere like home.

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MaTaZ ArIsInG
Dallas, Texas

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