Officials of the South African embassy in Nigeria were absent on Wednesday when members of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) stormed the mission at No. 24 Molade Okoya Thomas Road, Victoria Island, Lagos, to protest the xenophobic killings of other Africans in the country.
Though it was obvious that some of the embassy officials were within the premises, as vehicles with diplomatic numbers plates were seen going in and out of the embassy before the arrival of the protesters, however, the gate of the mission was kept under lock and key, while security men who were present refused to receive the letter from the protesters when they besieged the embassy.
The protesters, who were carrying various placards with anti-xenophobic inscriptions, eventually pasted the letter addressed to the South African President, Mr. Jacob Zuma, on the gate of the embassy as a last resort.
South Africa is facing its worst anti-immigrant attacks since 2008 as mainly foreign shop owners, including Nigerians, in townships are driven from their businesses.
Addressing the media, CDHR National President, Mr. Sunny Enennuwedia, who condemned the xenophobic attacks in the strongest terms, described Zulu king, Goodwill Zwelithini, who was believed to have instigated the attacks, “A mad Zulu king, who made the statement that foreigners are not allowing their citizens do business.”
Sending a strong warning to South African authorities to stop the attacks in order to prevent reprisals from other countries, Enennuwedia said the purpose of the protest at the embassy was to register the displeasure of Nigerians over the wave of xenophobia against other Africans in South Africa.
“The purpose of our protest here today is to complain bitterly about how South Africa is treating other Africans, particularly Nigerians. We are here because of the problem bedevilling the black race in South Africa.
“It is unfortunate that this is happening in South Africa where Nigeria contributed in no small measure to ending apartheid in their country some years back.
“We are here to show that we are not happy. I can assure that (Nelson) Mandela is very unhappy in the grave today because he knew South Africans owed Nigerians.
“If we should be pushed to the wall to mobilise Nigerians against South Africans and their businesses, they will suffer. There is a letter to deliver to Zuma but they said there is nobody to receive it. We implore him to see us or we will do what will baffle him,” he said.
“We can mobilise fully to ensure that South Africans are
driven out of Nigeria. We can mobilise to do what they are doing but we will not do that. We want them to heed what we are saying and urgently stop the killing of innocent people,” he added.
He blamed the problem on poor leadership in Africa, which he attributed to the growing rate of youth unemployment across the continent and the consequent migration in search of greener pastures.
“The problem is a leadership problem. If the people were being well led, this shouldn’t have happened. We should have gainful employment. If some of these people have gainful employment in their countries, they have no business being in South Africa,” he said.
The National Publicity Secretary, NYCN, Mr. Chris Ibe, was even more threatening, when he assured the South African authorities that Nigerian youths were prepared to pay South Africans in their own coins if the xenophobic attacks were not stopped immediately.
“Over 70 million Nigerian youths are ready to retaliate. When the time comes, we will pick them. MTN, DSTV and Shoprite that have been shortchanging Nigerians should take note because the fact that young Nigerians went to South Africa, they have no right to kill them,” he said. (Thisday)
That Zulu king I still insist must be jailed
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