Nigeria and South Africa’s relationship has been strained over the years.
EFF president Julius Malema says Nigerian nationals are not the cause of South Africa’s problems.
He was speaking at a gathering of Nigerian lawyers in Enugu state, Nigeria, on the weekend.
Malema said there has been misdirected anger against foreign nationals in South Africa because of the economic oppression suffered by many black locals.
Who is to blame for South Africa’s problems?
“Let me be unequivocal here, xenophobia is a betrayal of African unity, it is a sickness born out of poverty, inequality, and government failure.
“But its victims are our African brothers and sisters; Nigerians, Zimbabweans and Congolese, and Somalis are not the cause of South Africa’s unemployment problem.
“The cause lies in the untransformed economy of South Africa, which remains in the hands of the white minority and multinational corporations who continue to exploit labour while refusing to industrialise,” he said.
How to build a united Africa
Malema said that when Africans attack each other, it diverts the anger from the real enemy.
“We must educate our people that unity and not division is the solution to the African crisis.
“If we want to end one-way migration, where Nigerians are forced to leave home in search of opportunity in South Africa, then we must integrate our economies.
“Young Nigerian engineers should be able to work in Johannesburg, Gaborone, Windhoek, Harare, Cairo, and Accra.
“Not as foreigners, but as Africans contributing to Africa,” he said.
Malema said South Africans should also be able to do business easily in Nigeria.
“We must harmonise trade policies, align Visa regimes and build continental infrastructure that connects our people.
“We actually do not need a Visa between South Africa and Nigeria, in the same way we do not need a Visa for our people to travel in their own continent.
“We are one, both South Africa and Nigeria know the pain of colonialism, both have faced internal divisions, both have endured the pressures of global imperialism that seeks to divide, exploit and control us,” he said.
The importance of Africa’s unity
Malema said the only way the continent can succeed is through Pan Africanism.
“We must reject the notion that our salvation will come from Washington. London, Brussels, or Beijing, our salvation lies here in Lagos and in Johannesburg.
“Together, Nigeria and South Africa can lead the African continent’s free trade area not as a paper agreement but as a living reality.”
“Together we can prove that Africa is not a continent of begging bowels but a continent of giants.
“We must prove to the whole world that we are not xenophobic, we love one another,” he said.
He said Africans have a duty to love each other because they are not loved by the rest of the world.
“The unity of Africa is paramount; we must never associate with any xenophobic agenda that perpetuates the divisions in South Africa. Solidarity is what we need from each other.”
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Nigeria supported South Africa’s liberation during apartheid
Malema said Nigeria was a great supporter of the liberation of black people in South Africa during apartheid.
“South Africa during its liberation struggle was embraced by Nigeria and other African nation who declared that apartheid is not just a South African problem but an African and global crime, it is in that same spirit that we say our liberation will remain incomplete if we turn a blind eye to the struggles of those who continue to suffer under occupation, colonialism, imperialism and economic exploitation,” he said.
He said his vision is for Africa to have one president, one currency and one president.
Is Malema flip-flopping?
Political analyst Theo Neethling said Malema risks confusing his constituency about where the party stands on its immigration policies.
In some media reports, he has been quoted as saying that South Africans should be given priority when it comes to employment. He has also advocated for the employment of South Africans in the hospitality industry.
“He risks deepening the confusion surrounding his exact position on African migrants in South Africa.
“By seemingly veering between radical Pan-African ideals and populist appeals to local frustrations, Malema may be weakening the coherence of the EFF’s message, leaving both supporters and critics uncertain of what he truly stands for,” he said.
Operation Dudula believes Malema has missed the point
Operation Dudula spokesperson Zandile Dabula, told The Citizen that Malema is ignoring the issues that South Africans have with illegal immigration in the country.
“He is confusing this thing. We are not against our brothers and sisters; we are against illegality.
“He himself, being in Nigeria, probably has a passport, and he would not have been allowed inside the country without proper documents.
“We know when you talk about drugs and human trafficking, the nationality that specialises in that is Nigerians. He must not confuse things. We are not xenophobic; we are patriotic, saving our country from the mess it is today,” she said.
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