A Reprisal attack against South Africa’s business interests in Nigeria could do huge damage to its economy, those who have been following the ongoing xenophobic attacks against other Africans in South Africa told The Guardian yesterday.

Although most business analysts — including the Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Muda Yusuf — dismissed concerns over reprisal, they said South Africa has firm grip on major sectors of the Nigerian economy and could lose badly unless it does more to stop the recurring attacks.

Most of the attacks in South Africa occur in areas occupied by black Africans. “Cape Town is governed by the opposition party and they are mainly whites and coloured. The problems are always within the areas dominated by blacks,” says Cape Town-based medical doctor, Mr. JohnMartins Chinedu Mbamalu.

During his last visit to Nigeria, President Jacob Zuma said there were 120 big South African companies in Nigeria, sparking off debate on obvious trade imbalance and lopsided economic ties between both countries.

While South African companies in Nigeria are believed to be experiencing growth and patronage, Nigerian companies in South Africa complain of socio-economic asphyxiation. Business leader and president of the more than one million Nigerian residents was quoted as saying that South Africans have in place “some laws to ensure that foreign businesses do not thrive in their country.”

South Africa’s leading companies in Nigeria include MTN, Power Giant, Eskom Nigeria, South African Airways, South African Breweries (SAB miller), Stanbic Merchant Bank of Nigeria, Multichoice and Umgeni Water.

Others include Refresh products, PEP Retail Stores, Shoprite, LTA Construction, Protea Hotels, Critical Rescue International, South African-Nigeria Communications, Global Outdoor Semces, Oracle and Airtime. Experts say entry and growth of Africa’s interests and businesses in the current democratic dispensation have been ‘phenomenal,” moving from just four, in 1999, to 120 in 2016.

“Reprisal attack is a possibility but I’m hoping it does not happen”, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, President Muhammadu Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, told The Guardian. “ The South African government can do much better,” she said, stressing that a mayor in Pretoria made inciting statements that fuelled attacks on Nigerians and other Africans, especially Zimbabweans. “No responsible government will encourage reprisal because that will mean bringing yourself lower than them,” she cautioned.

Dabiri-Erewa said: “The Nigeria Mission in South Africa has met with the South African Police authorities and they have assured us they will (henceforth) provide protection for Nigerians.” Erewa-Dabiri, who on Monday urged the African Union (AU) to prevail on South African authorities to halt the attacks, however, noted that self-help or reciprocity could worsen the issue.

In a statement in Abuja Dabiri-Erewa had described the attacks as “unnecessary setback.”
Dabiri-Erewa said the AU was being called to intervene because information had it that there would be fresh xenophobic attacks against foreigners today and tomorrow.

In a telephone interview with The Guardian yesterday, Erewa-Dabiri said the latest attack was done by “just a small part of” South Africa’s population . Some time ago, we used the principle of reciprocity; when they (South Africa) turned back an Arik aircraft, we turned theirs back. But this is the time for the AU to intervene.”

Yusuf who runs the Lagos chamber of commerce dismissed the possibility of reprisal attacks on South African businesses in Nigeria, noting that, unlike small businesses predominantly owned by Nigerians in South Africa, most of the South African ventures are large enterprises.

“There may be a couple of protests but Nigerians are not violent and would not toe the line of South Africans. Moreover, Nigerians benefit largely from South African businesses in the country through employment, as many of the businesses have over 90 per cent of Nigerians as their employees. So there may not be the need for such an action.

“Nigerians have a lot to lose if such reprisal actions occur. However, I do not see that happening. Nigerians are not crude”, he added.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian government while strongly condemning the incident “urged the South African government to take the strongest measures to protect the lives and property of foreigners living in South Africa and also to quickly bring to justice the perpetrators of these heinous crimes”.

The government in a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs observed that incidents of xenophobic attacks have continued unabated in South Africa since 2015, and that Nigerians are among the groups that have been mainly targeted for attack and looting of their property.

The Ministry, however, urged Nigerians in South Africa to remain calm and law-abiding, adding that high-level communications aimed at permanently resolving the crisis have commenced. It nonetheless advised Nigerians in South Africa to be vigilant.

In the same vein, the Senate has called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to immediately review Nigeria’s foreign policy following the attacks.

Besides, the government of South Africa has condemned the xenophobic violence describing it as not only despicable but demeaning of the African people.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/02/120-south-african-companies-in-nigeria.html#more

Na this one make us realise say

Without white South Africans were develop South Africa

The country for worse pass Somalia

South Africans are ungrateful people

No matter what Nigeria should be the list country they should attack

We helped greatly during the apartheid

I give up on them

hungryboy:
Na this one make us realise say


Without white South Africans were develop South Africa


The country for worse pass Somalia

How I wish baba Awolowo, PA Nnamdi Azikwe and Sardauna of Sokoto all leave us for many more years with the whites

Nigeria could have been better off

God let there be peace ooooh

Let the truth be told, attacking their companies will create more joblessness!

South Africans should be very careful of not not, their fingers would get burnt. Reprisal attack is imminent from Nigerians if they don't stop their crude behavior

D attack was caused by an inciteful statement made by a mayor in pretoria.JUST LIKE D OBA OF LAGOS.They r every where.Genocide starts wt one man.I condemn it.

There chains has been physically broken but they are still mentally bound.

there is no need for reprisal yet.Nigeria govt shud talk 2 ALSA govt

Lol

Nigerians there should hustle legitimately while the SA security agencies should protect foreigners from hate-filled locals.

Do you have a life outside Nairaland?

sarrki:
South Africans are ungrateful people

No matter what Nigeria should be the list country they should attack

We helped greatly during the apartheid

I give up on them

Nigerians come home, what are you doing there? Apart from the clean street and good structures, we are better off. I just wish our government is more citizen oriented

ironheart:
Nigerians come home, what are you doing there?

Home is where your daily bread is guaranteed, bro. Something just not assured here anymore

south Africans have forgotten. hmmm. the old good days

South Africans should be ashamed of themselves....they forgot easily how Abacha (of wretched memory) contributed tremendously to their liberation from the evil fangs of apartheid...really shame on them!

Our silence as a nation over this matter keeps encouraging these lazy South Africans. I believe an attack on there businesses here and a restriction on them doing business in/with Nigeria, would be a serious wake up call for them.

Imagine nonsensical rubbish.

sarrki:
South Africans are ungrateful people

No matter what Nigeria should be the least country they should attack

We helped greatly during the apartheid

I give up on them

Thank me later

Milonis:

Home is where your daily bread is guaranteed, bro. Something just not assured here anymore

its laziness bro. All those running away are purely lazy. I have been there n i never wish to live there. The way those guys hustle over there, if they do it herr, trust me they are going to be 10xbetter than what they are over there.

sarrki:
South Africans are ungrateful people

No matter what Nigeria should be the list country they should attack

We helped greatly during the apartheid

I give up on them

Our problem is that we play tribal, ethnic and religion politics. Good %tage of Nigerians will keep quite when a fellow Nigerian is murdered in SA, claiming that the murdered is an Igbo drug pusher. Now handshake has passed the elbow and the damage cannot be 'METAKWALISM'. You can't kill an Israelite even if the person is a terrorist and go free. Nigeria is sleeping.

ironheart:
its laziness bro. All those running away are purely lazy. I have been there n i never wish to live there. The way those guys hustle over there, if they do it herr, trust me they are going to be 10xbetter than what they are over there.

Pls watch your tongue, what do you mean by laziness?. For the fact that you didn't find your feet there, does not mean that those that did are lazy.

Nwodosis:
Let the truth be told, attacking their companies will create more joblessness!

EOD!

We dont have what it takes to threaten anyone right now. Militarilly, yes, economically- LIE!

1m ke? are we trying to form a country there? omo 9ja dey travel oo.
make our govt face this foolish SA jare, they go kill those wey dey their land, come here too, they no go respect our laws nor citizens, weyrey nation

Nobody will attack them anywhere in Nigeria jare... We no dey that stupid...

Nigerians get work...

Na only iPod toots and Biafrans fit dey think like south Africans

Our government should ban their companies here for a month...because attacking their companies will create more joblessness in this country!

ok

an eye for an eye

wait am coming, the tread too long.......still loading while i do the needful.