Over the years, there has been a series of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other Africans living in South Africa. The reason given by these xenophobic South Africans is that the African immigrants are taking up their jobs that are met for them. However, other reasons given by these xenophobes are that Nigerians in their country are involved in drug and human trafficking, hence the reason for the attacks.
The recent event which surrounds Miss South Africa contest which involves Chindinma Vanessa Adetshina whose father is a Nigerian and mother, a Mozambican immigrant in South Africa is a testament to the fact that it has gone beyond the issue of xenophobic but Afrophobic.
Chidimma was bullied out of the contest based on the fact that she has a Nigerian father and Mozambican mother. Chidimma is born and bred in South Africa and knows no other country apart from South Africa. Her only offense was that she’s the daughter of immigrants.
This results in a lot of tensions and cyber war between the netizens of Nigeria and South Africa.
It didn’t end there. Another cyber battle ensued when some people from South Africa ordered e-hailing rides (Uber and Bolts) and canceled the order when the rides got to the destination they were directed to. This infuriated Nigerians, and they were replicating the same ‘gesture’.
It’s only on trivial issues like this that Nigerians would put their tribal sentiments behind and fight a common ‘enemy’, but when it comes to fighting a common enemy in Nigeria, that’s when everyone would remember their tribes especially during election period where people vote based on tribes instead of competency.
The evidence of this was seen in the 2023 general election where people voted for different candidates based on tribes. The ‘Yoruba ronus’ vote for Bola Tinubu, ‘Igbo Obidients’ vote for Peter Obi and Hausa-Fulani votes for Atiku Abubakar.
The heights of this tribalism comes when some Yoruba ronus who are APC supporters started a campaign of “Igbo must go” in Lagos just because they believe that the large population of igbos living in Lagos could sabotage the chances of Tinubu in the election. The 2023 election proved that people largely voted on tribal lines instead of competency and ideology.
While the ordinary African masses continue to fight themselves, they forget to realize that we have a common problem.
No country in Africa can boast of 100% development, no thanks to the political elites who have made it so. I’ve never seen a country in Africa that can boast of good governance. Instead of us to unite and confront this common enemy, we are hating ourselves.
African rulers continue to live in affluence on our commonwealth and make anti-people’s policies that further stiffen the suffering of the common people, yet ordinary citizens think that the fight is against ourselves? Instead of using our energy to confront our common problems, we are using it for misplaced priorities.
If I think of Africa, what comes to my mind are poverty, unemployment, high levels of illiteracy, corruption, insecurity, bad health-care systems, dysfunctional educational systems, bad road networks, dilapidated infrastructure, etc. And you think that all these are natural? These vices created by bad leadership cut across Africa countries from Nigeria to South Africa. Yet, you think all these are not worth fighting for except on frivolity?
The energy the ordinary South Africans are using to fight against their fellow Africans, they should channel it against their government to demand good governance. The energy Nigerians are using to fight between themselves, let’s channel it to fight against bad governance in our country.
The energy Africa people are using to fight against themselves, let’s harmonize it and use it to fight against bad leadership in Africa.I’m hoping that one day, the African masses will come together to revolt against our common enemies.
Africans, Unite!
