Xenophobic Attack: Your Liberators Are Not Sacrificial Lambs!

By Ajogwu Jerry Ochada

Each time our beloved country is rated the Giant of Africa it instigates a musing aura of mixed feelings amidst obvious grumblings of deception perhaps because we are living in the shadows of our past glories. It boggles my wild (though innocent) imagination to withstand the fact that citizens of the most populous black nation are being intimidated, persecuted and killed more cheaper the worth of poultry birds within the confines of their own continent without redress. 

The killing of Nigerians living in South Africa is fast becoming a hobby for South African nationals and it is high time leaders of both countries reach an armistice or better still severe diplomatic ties because majority of Nigerians are not weaklings.

I am not seeking a reprisal attack because Nigerians are hospitable but the inimical tendencies of South Africans showcased in the barbaric killing of Nigerians (our blood brothers and sisters) by some group of hopeless ignoramus cannot be tolerated anymore even though common sense is not common. 

In the heydays of Nigeria's relevance as reflected in the apartheid tussle in South Africa, Nigerian leaders with the support of Nigerians embraced the anti apartheid struggle without regrets; we stood our grounds despite all odds by ensuring the liberation of South Africans from the vestiges of their defunct oppressors. 

This is the ugliest payback from the sick brains who never had the gut to defend themselves with exception of few illuminated minds in the like of the great Madiba – Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela – of blessed memories. 

It is unethically cumbersome to reckon the incessant killing of Nigerians in South Africa notably in the 21st century when Blacks are no longer slammed the racist hammer in Europe. It is sickening to note at this juncture that with the range of South African investments in Nigeria, a reciprocal attack by Nigerians will tell on the economies of SA directly or indirectly. 

Nigerians are peace loving breeds but a goat can bite more than a dog when pushed to wall. Shoprite supermarkets, StanbicIBTC, MTN and DSTV are not sacred cows that cannot be touched but I urge all Nigerians to boycott these investments owned by South Africans till further notice (as dem no want get sense).

South Africans are drumming the beat of war (maybe cold war) and it is self destructive for governments of both countries to keep mute at this juncture because of politics and democracy. The contribution of Nigerians and Nigeria towards the liberation of South Africa should not be forgotten in a hastened way and manner justified in the killing of our kinsmen and the razing down of their investments; pictures of South African nationals looting the wares of slain Nigerians is all over the social media but let it be a statement of fact that the majority of peace loving Nigerians are not neophytes when the spirit of violence is invoked; Nigerians are not cowards and we can never be.

South Africans are strongly advised to embrace peace NOW or NEVER because the senseless attacks on Nigerians in SA no longer need to be treated with kids glove. If at all they assume Nigerians are not united and prefer to sacrifice their liberators as sacrificial Lambs, Nigerians should be ready to teach their nationals residing in Nigeria lessons of unity in disunity as debuted by South Africans which is now an incessant crave of bloodshed just because Nigerians seems to be mute. No country have the monopoly of violence; a peace loving nation can burst into flames for peace to reign, at least for once.