One of the Afrophobic riots in South Africa, targeted at Nigerians and other nationals. Picture credit: AP
Surely, the best way forward is to assure us that they will be well protected and not attempt to give us lectures about the supposedly “devastating economic consequences” of doing what many of our citizens are urging us to do but which we have so far refused to do… A de-escalation of this matter is the wisest course for South Africa to take because to escalate it would result in a series of unforeseen consequences.
What has made the situation even more tense is the fact that the spokesman of President Cyril Ramaphosa, Mr Vincent Magwenya, issued a statement on 15th July accusing Nigeria and Ghana of “spreading fake news” and orchestrating an attempt to “misrepresent South Africa” and drag it before international institutions for formal sanctions.
Whilst it is true that Nigeria, Ghana and ECOWAS intend to take this matter up at the African Union, it is FALSE to allege that either country is spreading ‘fake news.’
I wonder whether Magwenya will also claim that the events of 1995, 1998, 2000, 2008, 2015, 2019 and 2024, each of which witnessed the targetting and cold-blooded murder of African nationals, including Nigerians, by wild, violent and spear-wielding black South African mobs, were also ‘fake news’ and not clear evidence of Afrophobia?
