FEATURE ARTICLE

Mankind Olawale OyewumiMonday, April 27, 2015
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XENOPHOBIC AFRICANA

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‘We cannot shed tears about rising xenophobia at a time when we open opportunities for a person, who is not restrained by any moral force, to ravage sacred places, spit on his fatherland, and destroy his culture. Such a person will go and kill someone else on the basis of race or faith. There is one single and indivisible morality.’ -Metropolitan Kirill

ver heard of IMBIZO? It is the traditional meeting convened and presided over by the Zulu traditional king. All along, it had been the historical deliberation on issues of historic significance. In March 2015, King Goodwill Zwelithini KaBhekuzulu, the traditional head of the legendary Zulu ethnic group in South Africa convened such meeting. In that meeting that was intended to influence over ten million South Africans, the most populous, linguistically defined community of native blacks in South Africa, King Goodwill Zwelithini KaBhekuzulu linked all non South Africans living in South Africa as lice to be squashed, yes, parasites! He insinuated that the outstanding privation of South African citizens is the outcome of the millions of African foreigners living in South Africa. The consequences of those incendiary comments were insults and assaults on the property and persons of all African non South Africa. With over five million Dollars loss on the parts of individuals and governments of Africa, more than seven non South African nationals of South Africa have lost their lives so far.

Malawi and Zimbabwe sent buses to South Africa to fetch their endangered citizens home. Nigeria even recalled her diplomats to investigate the unusual imbroglio. The Zimbabwean President and AU Chairman, Robert Mugabe has this to say, ‘I want to express our sense of shock and disgust …The act of treating other Africans in that horrible way can never be condoned by anyone. And whether these are followers of the Zulu king Zwelithini or the followers of some misled members of some misled members of the South Africa n community,that must never happen in South Africa or any country.’

In a report by Al Jazeera however, the Zulu King attempted a non- committal vindication. He said his intention was misinterpreted. But Mondli Makhanya, the City Press editor-at-large insists such clear incitements couldn’t have been misinterpreted by anyone. They were the conspicuous imports of some soulful hate from a supposed traditional supremacy that was never meant to lie. In fairness however, one must look critically into the issues raised by this patriotic King than at the consequences of the succeeding impulses of the unthinking mob that maimed and killed for the sustenance of them. Most South Africans are in privation and wants; fourteen citizens to a toilet in Johannesburg is no sign of economic bliss let the United States’ or French citizens get affected by Zwelithini’s outburst of righteous indignation. In that country of supposed abundance, I have personal friends who must slave about to be sufficiently uncertain of their daily bread. This is a general pointer to the profound observation of Antonio Tabucchi,‘Xenophobia manifests itself especially against civilizations and cultures that are weak because they lack economic resources, means of subsistence or land. So nomadic people are the first targets of this kind of aggression.’ Exacerbated by the visionlessness, corruption and insincerity of the South African government, drug peddling, prostitution and armed robbery by choiceless (?) vice ambassadors referenced as foreign Africans in South Africa have donated bricks to the pitiable plights of that paper tiger tagged South Africa.

One thing is clear however: South Africa is not the only African country guilty of Afrophobic xenophobia. Most civil wars have sprung from the belief that one ethnic group is superior to, more relevant than another in African history; from the Nigerian Civil War to the sanguinary imbroglios of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Sudan, all factors mostly point to ethnic hate that class fellows as foreigners. Nigeria sent the Ghanians out of Nigeria in the eighties, without guts in official or traditional instructions though; remember Hutu-Tutsi unprincipled madness that those who wanted to retain their holds on Africa instigated?

None of these crises and wars was free from the satanic investments of African exploiters and oppressors, home and abroad. The death of Lumumba and Sankara, the guts of native mega African embezzlers and tyrants, etc., all had the cooperation of some external tormentors that were and still insensitive to the growing poverty and indignity of Africans.

From all of these, I see a continental country needlessly divided. I see a visionless clime authenticating the sentiment of their oppressors. Native South Africans- naturally Blacks- would be good to their founding sentiments of the morality of being Blacks were it not for their psychologically traumatizing encounters with Apartheid. Do African leaders know this?

What point was Nigeria proving by recalling its ambassadors from Pretoria? Why is Pretoria furiously criticizing? South Africa said the recall of its ambassadors from its soil is ‘unfortunate’ and ‘regrettable’. What misfortune? What regrets? Do the South African authorities think Nigeria is a nimby-pamby for its pronounced failure to conquer Boko Haram under Jonathan? Quite condescending a diplomatic point and a blunder-baked assumption! For, Nigeria- the most populous and prosperous African nation on earth- is quite destructive in terms of physical and spiritual warfare. And though the Apartheid trustees that criminally, greedily share the African resources with real Africans in South Africa send their armies in protection of Mandela-diluted South Africa, we here are a legion of fearless warriors against anticipated and unanticipated horrors. May be in our own time, Africa shall be reclaimed for the joys of all Africans. On the other hands, no country is a monopolist of violence. Every collision leaves a dent on the body of colliding objects.

So, Nigeria will be stupid to raise some limitless eyebrow against a sister- South Africa whose freedom it heavily invested in. And here I announce the eccentric responses of the Jonathan’s administration to this African affair. Vengeance cannot be carried further than death; the moment efforts are being genuinely made by to salvage any social palaver, why investment in poisonous cassava?

Having occurred twice in less than a decade, South Africa has evidently, been magnificently inconsistent at nipping the dangers of Xenophobia against all most Africans in the bud, the soul indicts Nigeria’s responses to an unofficially begun attacks the South African leaders are walking round the clock to halt; with this piece, I pray that citizens of other artificially made countries of Africa will be deep enough to understand any part of Africa is for all Africa and cease this potentially explosive hate fire. The work and hope for the FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF AFRICA is far more profitable than this politically empty balderdash we hourly squander limited resources on. God bless Africa!

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