#XENOPHOBIA: A SPITEFUL DISPLAY OF PUBLIC INSANITY

BY ORIMOLOYE, Ifeoluwa

Whenever people forget history in a hurry, I am always saddened, owing to the fact that the word ‘ingrate’ (from my perspective) is an unfortunate term which ensue from the persistent abuse of history and its records. Unfortunately, this phenomenon has overtime destroyed ambitions. Such is the case of the locals in South Africa and their xenophobic attitude which has taken its root and has spread its wing in almost the entire South African country. Well, if the were to be on the other hand, it would have taken us by a lesser surprise, but most unfortunately it came this time around as a case of the blacks-against-blacks which can be unequivocally presumed as the rise of a kinsman against a fellow kinsman. For most of us who cherish family relationships, I shall crave your indulgence in furthermore stating that the xenophobic attitude (South African’s peculiar xenophobism) is like a war between two siblings from the same parents, and eventually only for one of those siblings to take the other by the neck and slaughter him. But then, going back to the xenophobic chat, the South African locals do not have an excuse, that massacre is a senseless one, and as much as a friend has prescribed that the locals might not be civilised, I would suggest that they be taken for a psychiatric test…For racists (who despise the black), this I believe might look like a confirmation (of) and a justification for some of their claims, Even as I continue to wonder why terrorism should be made to look like a minor defect that needs correction, if those guys were not found to be mentally slow at the end of the whole diagnosis (which I will still consider as an impossibility), I think they should be charged to court to face the same penalty as terrorism, as this is terrorism in disguise.

May I state categorically here at this point that I am a bit inclined to my public relations skills than international affairs analysis (except of course for the Syrian affairs, the negotiations and some related diplomacy), but then I shall not let the South African Xenophobia issue pass by my consciousness without adding my input, as it affects all of us as human creatures that is attached to Africa, and Nigeria in particular. And even though my analysis might be classified on the overall as a bit vague, I shall still have to say a few words stemming from the little information I have at my disposal;

NIGERIA AS a SOUTH AFRICAN COMRADE-IN-ARM: At a time in history, the South Africans were said to have been plagued with an “epidemic” which was referred to as Apartheid. The peculiarity in apartheid is that (apologetically speaking) it is generically attached to south Africa and unlike the racial issue which may cut across countries, and boundaries, apartheid became more like an infection which sought to separate even kinsman from each other for reasons related to colour of the skin, It is simply a war against the blacks that reside in the South Africa. This situation was said to have continued to exist until people like Nelson Mandela rose up…Strolling down the memory lane again, it was learnt that during the period of this epidemic, the emerging diplomatic enemy of South Africa (Nigeria) was one of the neighbours who offered a remarkable assistance to them in their times of trials, but then, that was just a historical perspective that borders on what should be a reciprocative-compensation that should have been bestowed by the South Africans on a country like Nigeria and other African countries, irrespective of any strain of sort. To this extent, I cannot begin to wonder why the South Africans would suddenly begin to resent Neighboring-allies (the immigrants) to the extent of an attempted massacre like a senseless ingrate, I don’t seem to understand.

PRECAUTIONARY OPINION: From time immemorial, even before Nigeria was declared as the largest economy in Africa (a feat which fetched from south Africa), I make bold to say that a considerable investment of the South African exists here in Nigeria, By now, given the Xenophobia issue, I think the South Africans must have understood that if this is allowed to tarry, they may be calling for some diplomatic lashes which shall, if implemented, send sporadic signals back home in South Africa. They should understand that it doesn’t take us the barest effort to make this country un-enabling for their businesses.

On a conclusive note, I shall liken the situation in South Africa presently to the biblical story of Abel and Cain. It was written that Cain actually killed Abel his brother born of the same parents, but Cain and his generations got lashed and up till the present day, the implication of that is still quite enormous. Let the South African locals take a cue from the story… lest they experience what Cain and his generations experienced, let them be warned!

ORIMOLOYE, Ifeoluwa is the national public relations officer of the National Association of Akure Students.