Cases of discrimination and
violence against Nigerians living or visiting South Africa are not strange.
After reports of attacks on
foreign nationals, especially Nigerians, living in South Africa rippled on
Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari sent an envoy to the country to register the
government’s displeasure.
The envoy is expected to arrive
in South Africa on Thursday.
In 2012, there was a diplomatic
row between both countries after some Nigerians were deported.
South African authorities had deported
125 Nigerians over claims that they visited the country with fake yellow-fever
vaccination cards.
In a tit-for-tat move, the
Nigerian government led by Goodluck Jonathan deported 84 South Africans in two
days.
In his remarks, Olugbenga Ashiru,
Nigeria’s foreign minister at the time, said South Africa’s action was a
xenophobic move.
“African countries including
South Africa, should not take Nigeria’s maturity and the friendliness of our
people to foreigners for granted,” he said.
“And also they should not take
the friendly business environment we have in Nigeria where companies, including
South African companies are making more profit in South Africa for granted.
“South Africans will know we are
very serious with this matter and that any deportation of any Nigerian, we will
meet it with equal reciprocal measure.
“What you see playing out is …
xenophobia by South Africans against all Africans, not just Nigerians,
including even those from their neighbouring countries.
“Their companies here in Nigeria
are making more profit than in South Africa. They bring in half-baked graduates
and place them above better qualified Nigerians, and we have been overlooking
that before now. There are many ways to hit back.”
Arik Air, a Nigerian airline,
also suspended its flights to South Africa.
At the time, it was reported that
Nigeria made five requests of South Africa. They were:
- unconditional apology to Nigeria over the deportation of 125 Nigerian travellers;
- compensation for all the victims of the cruelty;
- disciplinary action against all the officials involved in the incident;
- a review of the Yellow Fever Vaccination Card policy; and
- a commitment that such a diplomatic slip will not reoccur
SOUTH AFRICA APOLOGISES
Six days after the incident,
Ibrahim Ibrahim, the South African deputy foreign minister at the time,
tendered an apology to Nigeria.
“We wish to humbly apologise to
them, and we have,” Ibrahim said.
“We are apologising because we
deported a number of people who should not have been deported,” adding that he
does not expect an apology from Nigeria for the tit-for-tat deportations of
South African nationals.
He described the deportation as
“a regrettable incident which the South African government believes could have
been handled better”.
Blaming airport authorities for
the incident, he said deportation would hence require approval from officials
at the foreign ministry.
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