Image Source: AP News
Africa – Chairperson of the African Diaspora Network, Dr Vusumuzi Sibanda praised Nigeria’s decision to suspend official engagement with South Africa, saying it reflects growing frustration across the continent over the treatment of foreign nationals.
The Nigerian National Assembly has banned lawmakers, parliamentary committees, officials and staff from participating in South Africa-hosted conferences, meetings and legislative exchanges, including virtual engagements, following a wave of xenophobic attacks on Nigerian nationals.
“I think that it is a very progressive step, considering the lack of interest from the South African government, especially in dealing with this problem, because we have seen a lot of people obviously being displaced,” said Dr Sibanda.
Diplomatic Fallout Could Spread
Dr Sibanda warned that the diplomatic fallout could extend well beyond Nigeria, with countries such as Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo already responding to attacks on their own citizens. He said the informal cross-border trade that has long sustained South Africa’s economy could shift toward countries such as Botswana if foreign traders no longer feel safe.
He cautioned that the economic consequences would be severe if the trend continues, pointing to South Africa’s role as a regional exporter.
“South Africa’s GDP is going to fall grossly, because the government has failed to appreciate the role of the exports that South Africa is sending, for example, in the SADC region, that South Africa has been producing for the SADC region rather than only for itself, and that’s why it had a healthy and huge GDP, and that’s going to come down,” said Dr Sibanda.
Government Inaction
Dr Sibanda argued that authorities have failed to act against those inciting violence against foreign nationals, despite calls for prosecution under common purpose charges.
He said law enforcement’s failure to pursue cases against instigators has allowed the attacks to continue unchecked, leaving the government complicit in the ongoing unrest.
“Nobody’s arresting these people, and the government is therefore an active participant in a way. So we have a bigger problem as a result,” said Dr Sibanda.
