Business Eye

The absence of information on the part of South Africans on the relationship between Nigeria and their country before apartheid was abolished has been blamed for the harsh treatment of Nigerians in South Africa.

 Recently, some overzealous officials at the entry ports in South Africa deported some Nigerians on the flimsy excuse that they were travelling with fake yellow fever cards, this action attracted a retaliatory response from the Nigerian government before the two countries took steps to halt the deteriorating relations between the two countries.

                Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who spoke recently at a dinner held in his honour by the South African chapter of the Nigerian in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) in Johannesburg, warned that Nigeria and South Africa should not allow anybody to destroy the cordial relations between the two countries since the two countries have a lot to gain from each other.

                In his characteristic manner, Obasanjo warned: “There is no reason why Nigerian and South African relations should deteriorate, we must all make sure that it should not be the case, because we have so much at stake.” He went further, “whether we like it or not, if we do it well, the economy of Nigeria and South Africa will continue to be the largest in the African continent to drive the continent's economy.”

He, however, condemned in strong terms the frost relationship between the two countries as a result of the yellow fever document saga.

                “To me leadership matters, I am not justifying anything, but I am saying that relations that existed between Nigeria and South Africa in those hale days should not be allowed to diminish or deteriorate because we have so much at stake.

Things like yellow fever should not be allowed to affect the good things between the two countries.”

                “I am not blaming the leadership at high level, but whoever that was responsible for that decision should be heavily punished,” Obasanjo said. He also said that the xenophobia attack on Africans by some South Africans was condemnable.

                “Immigration of people will always take place, be it for political, economy or social reasons. There should be free movement of people within the continent, just like what we have in the ECOWAS region. Boundary demarcation should just be for administrative purposes.

                Recalling the contributions of the Nigerian governments towards the liberation struggles in the Southern African region, Obasanjo said that the Nigerian government donated about N25 million towards the liberation struggles in the Southern African Region, and Nigerian civil servants were made to voluntarily donate 5 percent of their salaries to the South African Relief Fund.

                He said there was perfect understanding between Nigeria and South Africa when he was the president and former President Thabo Mbeki was in-charge in South Africa.

“There was a perfect understanding between Nigeria and South Africa when I was the president of Nigeria and President Mbeki was in-charge here.

                “South Africa will not show interest in any position Nigeria wants and Nigeria will not show interest in any position South Africa wants, both of us have a way of lobbying other African countries to support us for any position,'' Obasanjo said.

                Speaking in the same vein, Mbeki, who referred to himself as a Nigerian, admitted that Nigeria provided leadership in Africa during the campaign to eradicate the apartheid regime in South Africa and liberation struggle in Southern Africa as a whole.

                “Nigeria, through the leadership of President Obasanjo provided the leadership the ANC needed in the continent. After the Soweto massacre of 1976, the ANC decided to take some young black South African out of the country to get education.

                “Nigeria had a huge number of those Soweto boys educated in various Nigerian educational institutions; most of those Soweto boys are today university professors and top government and ANC officials.

                “My wife was the coordinator of that programme, I was always in Nigeria, which made the ANC to appoint me as the contact man in Nigeria,” Mbeki said.

He said there should be no hostility between the two countries due to the long historical relationship that existed between them. “There should be no hostility between Nigeria and South Africa due to long historical relationship we had.

“President Obasanjo, people and governments of Nigeria stood by us financially and materially during the struggle to end apartheid.

                “It is important to build people to people relationship to sustain the relationship for the benefit of our governments and people,'' Mbeki said.

In his own remark, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the President of Inkatha Freedom Party and a member of the South African parliament, said that the government and people of South Africa should apologise to all Africans for the xenophobia attack.

“South Africa owes all Africans apology for the xenophobia attack.

                “South Africans should be ashamed of attacking their fellow brothers and sisters that stood by them during the struggle to end apartheid and attain the freedom we all enjoy today.

“I am putting this call at the parliament,'' Buthelezi said.

                Indeed, the South Africans, who are involved in this inhuman crimes against their African brothers are really ignorant of their history and efforts should be made to teach them this important aspect of their national life. Nigerians and the other Africans who have been victims of these attacks are waiting for this apology and adequate compensation.