Funmi Ogundare
Veteran journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch, Ray Ekpu, Thursday, called on the Nigerian government to intensify diplomatic engagement with South Africa over recurring xenophobic attacks, insisting that Pretoria must enforce its laws, prosecute perpetrators and compensate victims.
He made the call at a Pan-African roundtable organised by League of Nigerian Columnists (LNC) in partnership with the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies.
The dialogue themed, ‘From Mayibuye IAfrica to Abahambe! South Africa and Other African Countries: Reflections on the Trajectory of a Relationship’, was attended by scholars, diplomats, media professionals and policy analysts.
Ekpu, who chaired the occasion, emphasised the persistent attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa and criticised the government for what he described as its failure to decisively condemn the violence and ensure that law enforcement agencies protect immigrants.
According to him, while South Africa has laws to deal with criminal behaviour, authorities have failed to adequately enforce them.
“The South African government has not come out categorically to condemn what is going on, and the police appear to be looking the other way while these crimes are taking place. Those who violate the law should be dealt with according to the rule of law,” he stated.
Ekpu urged the Nigerian government to increase diplomatic pressure on Pretoria rather than resorting to retaliatory measures against South African-owned businesses operating in Nigeria.
He also opposed calls to target the more than 120 South African companies in Nigeria, arguing that such action would hurt Nigerians more than South Africans because the majority of employees in those firms are Nigerians.
“I do not believe in an eye-for-an-eye approach. If we go that route, Africa will only destroy itself. We should pursue coexistence and continue building Pan-Africanism,” he said.
The media icon stressed that Africa already faces numerous challenges, including economic hardship, migration, climate change and political instability, adding that the continent cannot afford further divisions.
On the plight of Nigerians displaced by xenophobic attacks, Ekpu called on the South African government to compensate victims for their losses, while urging the Nigerian government to provide support for those returning home to rebuild their lives.
“The South African government should pay compensation, while our own government should help those who have returned to resettle and start life again,” he said.
Ekpu attributed the continued migration of many Nigerians to the country’s difficult economic conditions, noting that poor wages and limited opportunities push citizens to seek greener pastures abroad, where they often face exploitation and discrimination.
He maintained that improving the domestic economy would reduce the pressure on Nigerians to emigrate.
Speaking with journalists, Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development, Anthony Kila, called for coordinated diplomatic and strategic action by African governments and the African Union (AU) to bring an end to recurring xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
He warned that failure to act could have grave economic and social consequences for the country and the continent.
The persistent attacks on foreign nationals, he stated, required more than periodic condemnations, adding that African leaders must adopt concrete measures to compel South African authorities to address the crisis.
According to him, South Africa should invest in reorienting its citizens through what he described as soft diplomacy, while the AU and individual African governments should engage Pretoria more firmly to ensure that xenophobic violence is no longer tolerated.
“I think South Africans in the diaspora, South African businesses operating internationally and the government need to invest in reorientation. They need to explain to people why they should not behave in such a barbaric manner,” he said.
Kila, who is also a Political Economist, suggested that African countries could consider diplomatic measures, including boycotting selected South African events, while urging influential South African public figures to speak out more forcefully against xenophobia.
He warned that the continued targeting of other Africans would eventually deepen divisions within South Africa itself.
“Today it is South Africans against other Africans. Tomorrow it could become Zulu against non-Zulu. If this trend continues, they will eventually turn on themselves,” he said.
He also urged African governments to tackle the underlying economic conditions that force many of their citizens to migrate in search of better opportunities.
“Governments should ask themselves why their citizens are so desperate to leave their countries to seek better lives elsewhere, only to become vulnerable to exploitation and attacks,” he said.
In his remarks, veteran journalist and Media Consultant, Martins Oloja, called on Nigerian leaders to improve governance, strengthen the economy and invest in quality education as a long-term solution to the growing migration of Nigerians and recurring xenophobic attacks against Africans in South Africa.
He stated that African governments should focus on addressing the conditions that force citizens to leave their countries in search of better opportunities, rather than merely condemning attacks whenever they occur.
According to him, poverty, weak governance and poor educational outcomes have continued to drive migration across the continent, making many Africans vulnerable to discrimination and violence abroad.
“They should improve conditions at home, improve the quality of education. Quality leads to industrialisation. It is quality that leads to innovation and helps fight poverty, which is why people are leaving their countries,” he said.
Oloja described the xenophobic attacks in South Africa as a reflection of broader governance failures across Africa, blaming not only the South African government but also continental institutions, including the AU and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), for failing to provide effective leadership.
He also criticised South African authorities for allowing citizens to take the law into their own hands by attacking immigrants and destroying property, insisting that the country’s leadership must act decisively to restore order and protect all residents.
Oloja also challenged African leaders to place greater emphasis on governance, economic development and regional integration instead of concentrating excessively on politics.
He expressed concern over the slow pace of African integration, citing poor transportation links across West Africa compared to Europe, where citizens can move seamlessly by road, rail or air.
“The African Union and ECOWAS should be playing stronger roles in addressing these challenges,” he said, adding that African governments must create opportunities that discourage the mass migration of young people.
He argued that countries should focus on building globally competitive businesses capable of expanding across the continent, pointing to South Africa’s success in developing multinational companies and world-class universities.
A Tanzanian Economist and Development expert, Prof. Bravious Felix Kahyoza, urged South Africa to reinforce its commitment to Pan-Africanism by protecting migrants, promoting social inclusion and educating its citizens on the historical role African countries played in the struggle against apartheid.
He stated that many African migrants, including Nigerians in South Africa, were driven by economic hardship rather than criminal intent, adding that: “Governments across the continent must create better economic opportunities to reduce irregular migration.”
He noted that many migrants were vulnerable because they were searching for improved livelihoods and often took dangerous risks in pursuit of better opportunities abroad.
“Across Africa, particularly within the continent, we need to do better so that our citizens can feel secure and have opportunities at home,” he said. “Reducing vulnerability will also reduce the pressure for people to migrate under difficult circumstances.”
While acknowledging that migrants must respect the laws of their host countries, Kahyoza said it was equally important for South Africa to improve the way it manages migration and treatment of foreign nationals.
He called on South African authorities to sensitise citizens on the importance of Pan-African solidarity, reminding them that many African nations stood firmly behind the country’s liberation struggle.