Part of the reason the apparent state-sponsored attacks on the diaspora Nigerians domiciled or in transit in the Republic of South Africa is unabating and is daily increasing in temper and tempo is not far-fetched.
It is as lucid as June 12 and whatever it stands for. Those crooks in our government circle have huge shell investments in South Africa which serves as a haven for their loots. That is the reason this government cannot do anything in the face of this injustice meted out on Nigerians. Any confrontation of the South African government in anyway by the Nigerian government would affect the investments of our venal politicians here in Nigeria and there in South Africa. If not, I still wonder why our High Commissioner to the Xenophobic Republic of South Africa was not recalled immediately until now. For me, Nigeria should severe any form of diplomatic relations with South Africa with immediate effect.
I could recall during the yellow card brouhaha in the then President, Goodluck Jonathan administration, the government took a proactive and preemptive measure against South African government and won. They deported some Nigerians unjustly and GEJ packaged their own citizens in their hundreds and was exporting them to South Africa in successive batches until the then Zuma-led government of South Africa begged him to stop and the yellow card saga was resolved amicably.
In the case of the South African investments here, I am aware that attacking their investments here like MTN, Shoprite, DSTV etc would obviously be counter productive. For instance, it is Nigerians that work in those establishments. In the case of Shoprite, it is Nigerians that own and operate the shops therein and the franchise is also held by Nigerians. I wont also be surprised if Shoprite, DSTV, MTN, Stanbic IBTC and co are owned by Nigerian politicians who use South Africans as fronts. Operating any establishment here under a licence of any SA company is a huge insult to our sensibilities. If Nigerians have such money to operate such huge investments, why can’t they operate them with original Naija names like Betnaija, Chanchangi,Innoson, Ibeto, Madam B.O. Superstores (Madam Ebo), Dangote Group, Nwanyi Ujali Food Canteen, Hero Lager Beer (Oompa), Adonko Bitters, Ochiagha Motors, God is Good Motors, Neros Pharmaceuticals, etc ? just mentioned a few. Believe ye me, all these companies are mainstream companies that are natives of Nigeria. They need not to affiliate to any other foreign establishment for them to breakthrough.
All I am saying in essence is that seeing anything South African here in Nigeria is a big disrespect to us. Such South African companies represent xenophobia and such should not be accommodated because we have been victims of xenophobia and we are sensitive people. In South Africa, such would never ever happen. They are jealous of how successful Nigerians are and as they are consumed in their jealousy, they start attacking our brothers and their investments for no just cause, even though many of them from South Africa work in those establishments.
South Africans do not tolerate anything that symbolises apartheid. They have been victims of apartheid. They abhor it. Elsewhere in China and Russia, anything American is viewed as capitalism and may be partially welcome with all suspicion or it may be boycotted or expelled. In America, anything from the Far Eastern countries of especially Russia and China are seen as a symbol of communism and/or socialism and will never be allowed to stay. Take for example what happened in Huawei vs Trump, the USA vs Karpersky, etc. It is high time Nigerians viewed such South African representatives here as xenophobia and nothing but xenophobia. Those establishments from South Africa should not be allowed to thrive here. Those holding South African franchises should give them up and start operating as full-fledged Nigerian firms. Any attempt to continue operating under the licence of the so-called SA companies is not only despicable but height of insensitivity. After all Nigeria committed huge resources and almost singlehandedly extricated the black South Africans from the shackles and manacles of the apartheid. This is not the best way to repay us.
*** King James Obinna Onuegbu is a graduate of Mass Communication, Federal Polytechnic, Oko.
