Anti-foreigner attacks in Johannesburg which have triggered violence between two nationals, South Africa and Nigeria were instigated because of excessive consumption of drugs which Nigerians living in South Africa sell to citizens, some Ghanaians living in South Africa have revealed.
Prior to 1994, immigrants from elsewhere faced discrimination and even violence in South Africa. After majority rule in 1994, contrary to expectations, the incidence of xenophobia increases.
Yussif and Kobby Jones speaking in an interview with Nana Yaw Kese on Peace FM’s morning show “Kokrokoo” attributed the recent upsurge in violence to anger of South Africans who want the Nigerians to quit selling illicit drugs to fledgling citizens.
Yussif noted that, “angry South Africans mobs looted, burned and vandalized shops, properties, and vehicles, on Sunday because the Nigerians are selling drugs to the young South Africans, the people here do not discipline their children so all of them are drug addicts, what the Nigerians are doing is not good”.
“The main reason for this violence is because of their drug trade, it is really disturbing, I remember two years ago I was arrested with some Zambian because they thought we were Nigerians selling drugs”.
Kobby Jones who further described Nigerians’ behavior as ugly said, Sundays violence was triggered because a Nigerian drug trader shot a South African driver because he exposed him for selling drugs by the roadside. “What the Nigerians are doing is very ugly and Ghanaians should stop condemning south Africans, can you believe this whole fight started because a South African driver busted a Nigerian selling drugs and due to that he shot the driver, imagined this had happened in Ghana, would Ghanaians take it normal?”.
People should stop saying South Africans are lazy, if they are lazy how we can get jobs to do when I come here? There is money in South Africa, Nigerians are ruining the country, they want quick money, they have polluted the minds of ladies in South Africa, they are ruining South Africa with their drug business.
Due to Sunday’s outburst in South Africa, angry Nigerians took to the streets of Lagos, Nigeria to protest the attacks on their brothers and sisters in South Africa.
The angry protesters attacked South African business Shoprite with stones and destroyed property around the retailer since they were unable to access its building
In 2008, there was a wave of attacks across the country against refugees and migrants, more than 60 people were reported to have been killed and thousands displaced.
In 2015, there were outbreaks of violence against non-South Africans, mostly in the cities of Durban and Johannesburg, which led to the deployment of the army to deter further unrest.
In March, the government launched an initiative to raise public awareness and improve access to services for victims of discrimination.
Human rights groups welcomed it, but said that the government needed to publicly recognise attacks on foreigners as xenophobic.
In a statement published in October 2018, South Africa's main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, blamed the governing ANC party for a "scourge of xenophobic violence".
Condemnation of attack
Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, has admonished Africans to shun hate and any form of violence on their fellow Africans if they want the continent to prosper.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, Africa Union Commission chief also said on his twitter account, ‘’ I reiterate AUC’s continued commitment to support the South African govt in addressing the root causes that led to these despicable acts, in order to promote peace and stability.’‘
Burna Boy, a Nigerian musician took to twitter to write, ‘‘And to my Brothers and sisters I am not encouraging any Violence or anything but please PLEASE Protect and Defend yourselves at all times, it may not seem like it but there’s always a way.’‘
