By Frank Meke @ 08057511885( WhatsApp message only) # Mekefrank@gmail.com.
It is culturally unafrican to see two brothers fight or descend to the gutters without intervention by the elders or good smaritans. It’s equally against fairness and justice to take sides in an issue to which all sides were not given opportunities to share their grievances or pains.
It is shameful for individuals and nations that share the same heritage, tradition, and culture to spat disgracefully in the marketplace, and we stand by and watch.
It’s heart rendering to me to see both Nigerians and South Africans speak ill about each other with subtle deployment of diplomatic and socioeconomic missiles against each other.
In this conversation, I speak first as a Nigerian, an African and a lover of humanity, and as a cultural tourism journalist. If you look at the map of Africa, Nigeria sits as the “trigger ” shape on the map while South Africa occupies the topmost flank. These two geopolitical zones are spiritually strategic to the development of Africa as a continent.
Today, these two foremost African black countries jointly prides as the biggest economies in Africa, with South Africans making big economic and tourism trade gains out of Nigeria.
In my area of business interest, which is culture and tourism, South Africa dwarfs Nigeria in tourism marketing and promotion and all the years has made appreciable tourism money from holiday crazy Nigerians, young and old, and even from Nigerian indigenous corporate organisations.
Until things began to shape out terribly, with South Africans burning down Nigerian homes and small business in their country in a tragic xenophobic anger, all corporate seminars and workshops by corporate communities in Nigeria took place in south Africa with Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban as prime locations and destinations.
Those possibly were days of joy , of African unity and love, driven through cultural tourism vehicles. South Africa Airways became the pride and first choice airline by Nigerians, even for those transiting beyond Johannesburg to anywhere in the world.
Nigerians, no doubt, are very caring and loving. We thrive and populate in an atmosphere of love and freedom. Initially, South Africans were also tolerant and welcoming, very hospitable. The freedom songs out of ashes of soweto were on our lips.
On my many trips to South Africa , I love the exclusive luxury homes and peace in Johannesburg. Durban is crazy like lagos, and its indian ocean waters , the surrealistic water front hotels, and the thriving Port thrill me at every visit.
I love to jog and walk, savouring the peace and tranquillity of most South Africans cities, sadly that peace is gone, replaced by fear and anxieties. It had become dangerous to walk or jog now in most South Africans cities, but trust us, Nigerians, we can survive anywhere and are not easily intimated.
We may have our excesses in lots of ways, even negative ways, but we love Africa and our fellow blackman. Our ” innocent ” noise can be irritating, and the women, African women, love us.
Our weakness dwarfs even the strength of many people, and we love to joke, being convivial. The usual refrain to us as criminals pails into insignificance compared to the level of criminality in most African countries. No doubt Nigerians are very smart, very smart, and that troubles the average South African and their new Gen z legislators who worry that we want to take all from them. Na shakara we dey do!
You hear about women, about businesses, about so many things, most which are exaggerated moon light tales and fortunately which encouraged wise South Africans to brush aside years and stories of psychological trauma from dark periods of Apartheid to take their destinies in their hands.
I have met several South Africans who confessed to the very intentional and inspiring attitude of Nigerians to make it big in their land through legitimate means. These South Africans mimic Nigerians in the way to speak, do business, and sweat to survive generally. They love our generosity and burden sharing spirit, and some with pretty daughters gave them out to us marry.
We have Nigerian South African children, kids born in the land of madiba. So what exactly is the problem?
On Monday, our junior basketball team heading to South Africa for a championship game was denied visa. This was a nation that used sports, culture, and tourism to woo the world to its shores. Our little girl, chidimma Adetshina, born and bred in South Africa, was harassed out of a Miss South Africa beauty competition. This girl, though born to a Nigerian father and a neutralised Mozambican South African mother, possibly did not know South Africans now champion discrimination, preferring a ” white ” face to represent them. If they can accept the white coloured lady which is admirable, why throw your look alike under the bus and to the add to the disgusting show of shame, South African legislators, and their top political class drank loudly to celebrate the rubbish.
We heard about e riders blacklash when the citizens of the two nations took to destroying their transportation economy. Last week, I wept on reading about a poor South African cab driver who cried and begged Nigerians not to waste the future of small-scale entrepreneurs in their country. If you fact-check, it was South Africans that dared Nigerians first.
There are quite a large number of South Africans living in Nigeria, peacefully, and if all things are equal, may we wish to remain here with their families. As Nigerians, we can disagree amongst ourselves but will join hands to protect every African person, black or white.
So I ask again, what are the problems? Why kill our economies and people due to petty issues? Who is behind our problems? Time has come for us to approach the conference table, and as true, blooded Africans have a good and sincere conversation.
Let me warm that other African nations are fast learning from the mistakes of South Africans and are opening their doors to Nigerians. Nigeria’ s population is intimidating, and a geoscience and economic power base.
Which African nation have their citizens travel for trade and leisure despite economic downturn? It is only Nigerians that fill almost all the 15 foreign airlines flying daily into and out of Nigeria.
When you discriminate against one Nigerian, you indirectly tell others not to bother knocking at your doors. And trust us, when our patience and tolerance ebb out, we have the capacity to ignore and avoid you.
South Africa, lay your cards on the table before Nigerians give up on you.
