Bruised Ego not Unemployment Responsible for South Africans Xenophobic Attacks

There seems to be more to the South Africans xenophobic attacks on foreign black nationals in their country than the well circulated media report of high youth unemployment and poverty as emerging facts on what has been termed xenophobic attacks is nothing but a manifestation of bruised ego on the part of South Africa citizenry. 

This revelation was made by a Nigerian based in South Africa, a media practitioner and Chief Executive Officer, Better Africa Communication and Consults, Mr. Femi Oshin in a telephone interview with the Tribune on Saturday, April 18, 2015.

 

Immigrant being attacked begs his South African attackers for mercy

Oshin informed that what is referred to as xenophobic and Afrophobic is an institutionalised crime promoted by top South Africans Government Officials to deliberately distort and obliterate the invaluable contributions of some African countries to the liberation struggle of South Africans during apartheid. “This is the genesis and undercurrent of the deep-rooted anger and hatred nurse by South Africans against their black brothers and sisters” he said. 

 

Speaking further Oshin observed, “young South Africans were ignorant of the contributions of many African States to the liberation struggle waged by the African National Congress (ANC) against White-settlers domination and oppression in the country”

In addition, he said “one of the major causes of xenophobia and Afrophobia in South Africa is the paucity of knowledge in terms of Nigeria’s contribution and that of other African countries towards the dismantling of apartheid system in South Africa.

 While quoting the late foremost Kenyan  Ali Marzul,  Oshin, a political writer and producer of Agogo Ayo (a weekly magazine series run by M-NET, DSTV South Africa) said “Nigerian were most domineering among them warranting constant attacks on them. South Africans see Nigerians who live in their country as new black colonialists who have come to take out their hard-earned resources which they suffered for many years”

Continuing Oshin said “It important to state that the attacks have been on for some time and government officials are fueling it up so as to wipe off the claims that other African countries contributed to the freedom of South Africa from the stranglehold of white colonialists”

Xenophobia and Afrophobia are terms, according to Oshin, “for organized crime against Black African immigrants especially Nigerians. What is happening here is beyond what you hear or see online, South Africans hate hearing that Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and other African nations helped them acquire freedom from white oppression and to put an end to claim, young, ignorant and misguided South Africans are often incited to foment trouble against Black Africans resident in the country.