IT is disgraceful that South African authorities have allowed street gangs to usurp the work of immigration officials under the guise of fighting illegal immigration. These roaming mobs have looted businesses, assaulted, killed and, in some instances, committed atrocities that border on genocide against fellow Black Africans.
Many analysts believe the authorities’ failure to halt this wave of xenophobia is deliberate, serving as a convenient diversion from their inability to improve the living conditions of the Black majority more than three decades after the end of apartheid.
In response to the attacks on Nigerians and other African nationals, some Nigerians have urged the Federal Government to nationalise South African businesses operating in the country.
A senator, Adams Oshiomhole, in particular, called on the government to seize the profits of such companies. His principal targets were MTN Nigeria, MultiChoice Nigeria (DStv) and Stanbic IBTC.
Earlier, Oshiomhole had advocated revoking the operating licences of South African companies in Nigeria and even suggested that MTN should be nationalised.
