Xenophobia can be explained as the hatred by the nationals of a particular area over non-national in that area. Xenophobic attack is when those nationals starts maltreating non-nationals in their area. What can cause this attack is greed, that is when the nationals think that the strangers in their land are dominating or doing better than them, racism; some people segregate based on colour, either white or black, misunderstanding between the two groups etc.
The recent xenophobic attack on Nigerians and other African Nations living in South Africa calls for great attention.
In all these, what we should realise is that whether black or White, we are still Africans. We have something undeniable in common.
The lives and properties being destroyed is not the life and properties of strangers but our own brothers.
If we don’t accept our brothers, who will we accept?
Nigeria and South Africa
Since History, Nigeria and South Africa have shared business interest which led to the establishment of pronounced private companies in Nigeria by South Africans such as MTN, which is now the biggest Telecommunication company in Nigeria, that Nigerians wholeheartedly embraced, DSTV; also owned by South Africans which is the most popular cable network in Nigeria, Shoprite; which sells grocery and other house hold products, which Nigerians greatly patronized, and other notable private companies in Nigeria which are owned by South Africans.
This being said, I cannot also deny the fact that Nigerians living in South Africa also have huge business investment over there.
Who gain and who loose?
If we resort to destroying South Africans property here in Nigeria, our people who are gainfully employed by those sectors will be greatly affected. The South African investors who established those businesses will be also affected, because they will run a huge loss because those businesses worth billions of dollars.
If South Africans continue killing and destroying the lives and properties of Nigerians over there, they should know that Nigerians will not be happy because they are making some women widows, some children fatherless and motherless, some parents childless, they are leading some families to perpetual poverty, and also denying foreign investors opportunity to invest in their country, which will also affect their revenue.
Whether we are black, whether we are white, irrespective of where we come from, we should remember that we are humans. The merciless slaughtering of humans like animals should stop.
“No man is an Island “, we need each other. We were created for each other, therefore we should learn to love each other.
If this Xenophobia attack continues, I don’t know the type of foundation that we are laying for our future generation.
We should be our brothers keeper, and not our brothers killer.
I think it is time that our leaders, especially those whose countries are perpetrators of this act, most especially South Africans, should rise, take a strict measure to curb the gruesome murder and destruction of lives and properties of strangers living in their land.
Even in the Bible, Leviticus 19:3 says ” When a foreigner resides in your country, do not maltreat them.” That is to show that God himself is not happy with the maltreatment of foreigners living in one’s land.
Its time for all to unite,and say no to Xenophobia!
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