XENOPHOBIC SOUTH AFRICA: SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN LIBERATED FROM APARTHEID.

ICHEOKU says had a conversation with an Afrikaner a few weeks ago, discussing the senseless and uncivilized  xenophobic attacks by South Africans of black Africans living in South Africa. These are supposedly their fellow black African brothers and sisters, many of whose countries led the struggle to free South Africans from the asphyxiating choke hold  of apartheid regime. We also touched the issue of present black South African leadership and their inability to continue maintaining the administrative efficiency which South Africa had under the apartheid regime. 

Our conclusion was that it is either the apartheid regime ended too early and before black South Africans were ready to lead, as developments since then has shown that they did not fully imbibe the culture of a civilized behavior and coexistence with others; or that the current ANC leadership under President Cyril Ramaphosa is primitivity prone and totally retarded, not to provide the much needed peaceful progressive direction in South Africa. It is a sad and unbelievable commentary, that the government of South Africa would continuously tolerate and allow its citizens to periodically ferment trouble in that country, killing and maiming, looting, burning and generally destroying properties belonging to fellow black Africans living in South Africa. 

When their own storied history of being repressed and oppressed, tortured, imprisoned and sometimes killed, is factored in, you wonder if they learnt any lessons from their own past experience. A matter made worse because the black Africans who they are now visiting these mayhem upon are the same people whose countries helped them through their emancipation from apartheid. It is even sadder that Nigeria which led the struggle and helped them educate their future leaders, provided shelter for their fleeing fugitives and spent a fortune for the struggle to end apartheid, that her citizens are receiving the full blunt of these xenophobic attacks from such an ungrateful country. That South Africans would hate Nigerians so much after liberating them from apartheid makes one wonder if there could be any better definition of ingratitude than what is going on in South Africa. 

Since the stint of Nelson Mandela in governance and then a little part of Mbeki's early days in office, South Africa under the ANC has been a total disgrace, especially their wanton disregard for fellow black Africans lives considered. The post apartheid era black South African leadership had been looked unto to provide the much needed leadership role in Africa and also South Africa becoming the welcoming beacon of hope for fellow Africans. But the story ever since has been an unmitigated disaster which has dashed these hopes, as South Africa has instead become an unwelcoming hellhole where fellow black Africans are lynched nearly every day, some of them burnt alive and some of them had their four limbs cut off with machete. A gory tale of mayhem and bloodletting which does not spare even pregnant women and children and you wonder how barbaric these South Africans really are, that ferment this xenophobic madness. 

The government's tolerance of such gross lawlessness shows that South Africa has fallen into a state of anomie, gross ineptitude and debilitating inefficiency; and have somewhat also been bitten by the same bug of dysfunction which afflicts the entire African continent. Imagine the buffoonery of President Cyril Ramaphosa who cannot protect the lives and properties of people living in his country, and helplessly watches as South Africa descends into such a free fall of societal decay, where law and order are no longer maintain and where people are killed wantonly. How can any president be presiding over such a level of lawlessness, killings and destruction of properties; and still wants to be treated and accorded the respect deserving of leaders. Leaders solve problems and leaders protect the people living within the boundaries of their countries, who are incidentally under their care, regardless of their nationality. But in Africa, particularly now in South Africa, leadership means a different thing; the reason Africa is the bottom dweller among the comity of nations, both in development and care for citizens and residents. 

What is going on in South Africa reminds ICHEOKU of the thuggish behavior of some inner city black Americans, who frequently take it out on each other - killing, maiming and sometimes looting and burning properties in their neighborhood. A result of frustration, hopelessness and despondency due to lack of jobs and other life's opportunities. But instead of directing their anger at the relevant authority, the government, whose inept policies led to their situation, it becomes a case of misplaced aggression. They lash out and vent their anger at the nearest people and thing to them, their fellow depressed, deprived and denied neighbors; the same oppressed and downtrodden people of their society who share in the burden of their fate. This is the gist of the South African debacle as impoverished South African thugs are blaming African migrants in South Africa for their misfortune. 

But regrettably, their stupidity is being encouraged and somewhat tacitly supported by an inept and indecisive government, which is confused and conflicted as to how to approach the issue, which thinks that by going soft on these munchkins that they will be seen as understanding their frustrations. A case of spare the rod and spoil the kid and this lack of crackdown is nurturing this xenophobic mayhem and fanning its flame. ICHEOKU says a government's primary function is maintaining law and order within the given society under its control. So, yes, President Cyril Ramaphosa is to blame for failing to rein in those South African knuckleheads who are fermenting these repeat cycle violent crisis in South Africa. His wish washy, knee jerk, approach to law enforcement and failure to crack down heavily on these bandits, who are giving South Africa such a bloody horrible image, is the reason such idiotic attacks is continuing till this day. 

How can a president and leader of South Africa stand by and watch, as people living in his country, especially their fellow African brothers and sisters, including Nigerians, are constantly attacked, maimed and killed, their properties looted, burnt and destroyed. Nigeria did so much for South Africa during the struggle against apartheid that South Africa should and ought to owe Nigeria a perpetual debt of gratitude; and not only love Nigerians, but ensure that no harm is done to Nigerians living in their midst. But unfortunately, it is not so as the reverse is now the case, with Nigerians always primarily targeted whenever these urchins want to ferment their trouble. Nearly one hundred Nigerians have lost their lives in these attacks, added to the thousands whose properties and means of livelihood have been destroyed. 

Meanwhile, South Africans live in other peoples countries, including in Nigeria, where many of their country men and women are thriving freely and without any molestations.  But Nigerians and other people who call South Africa home are continuously being shafted and frequently on the business end of South African's machetes, guns, sticks, spears, bows and arrows. This madness must stop and it must stop now. Enough of the lack of reciprocity of love and affection by South Africans. If the evacuation of Nigerian citizens in South Africa and freezing of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and South Africa is what it will take to jolt the government of the sleepy-eyes Cyril Ramaphosa into action, so be it. The South African president must be made to realize the damage which such uncivilized and primitive behavior is inflicting on the image of his country; and then forced to resolutely do something about it, in order to checkmate the frequency of it by severely punishing offenders. 

Nigerian authorities must send a strong unequivocal message to President Cyril Ramaphosa that this will be the last time such unprovoked attack on her citizens shall be tolerated. If it happens again, Nigeria should nationalize every South African assets in Nigeria, recall her ambassador to South Africa and shutter the Nigerian diplomatic mission in Pretoria or wherever it is located; while simultaneously expelling South Africa's High Commissioner in Nigeria back to South Africa. India and Pakistan have perfected this tit for tat, often mercurial relationship between each other, as nobody is the sole purveyor of violence and crass idiotic behavior. If they want blood, let them be given blood. If they do not want peaceful relationship, let them not have any. But this one sided violence must end and end now. Enough. 

Those blood thirsty vampiric urchins in South Africa, who are venting their frustrations on Nigerians living in their country, must understand that they are murderous thugs and that no civilized people behaves in such a primitive manner. They must be made to realize that the difference between a jungle and a society is law and order; and that animals live in jungle of lawlessness. Further, that only barbarians callously hurt fellow human beings and enjoy doing it; and that they should do a serious soul searching to see why they lost the humanity in them, as to be so heartlessly in deep with this inhuman killings. Also, the political structure of the ANC in which leadership is based on a hierarchical order is too retrogressive and must be jettisoned. There is no pecking order in a democracy, as a potentially terrific leader can be found among the lowest rung of the totem pole of the political ladder. 

The ANC must liberalize the process and let the bowels of the party throw up a leader which South Africa desires and deserves; and not all these ossified leaders who have been patiently waiting for their turn and not because they have something to offer the country. These leaders are not persuaded to lead by the promise which they made to country men and women, because it was an inherited position, hence no accountability to the people and country. They believe that the position is theirs, regardless; and do not have any incentive to man up and face down the challenges of the office; including the security problem imposed by the recurring xenophobic attacks on foreigners living amongst them in South Africa. This time calls for a rethinking of resolve and President Cyril Ramaphosa must do whatever it takes to find a lasting resolution to the recurring South Africa's xenophobic attacks. It is a shame that South Africa has become the new shame of Africa; and you wonder who cursed Africa and placed this retrogressive spell on her. What a senseless shame.