The Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria has asked the Nigerian government to immediately evacuate its citizens from South Africa following xenophobia attacks on its citizens.
This is as the South African police announced that over 100 youths raided business centres owned by Nigerians between Sunday, February 26, 2017 and Monday, February 27, 2017.
South Africans have continued to destroy Nigerian businesses in a xenophobic attack.
The TUC further asked the Nigerian government to recall its high commissioner to the country as part of moves to sanction South Africa.
Recently, Nigerians in South Africa have experienced xenophobic attacks with some allegedly killed while business places have been destroyed.
“From all indications, it appears there is a grand conspiracy by the government and state security apparatus to continue to mindlessly waste lives and take over people’s properties of innocent and harmless fellow Africans.
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“First and foremost their anger is misplaced and probably borne out of the inferiority complex suffered from years of oppression and apartheid. As a credible organization we condemn crimes in all its forms and support punishment for those found culpable.
“But in this case no one has mentioned any case of crime; it is rather a case of a country whose freedom we staked our lives, financed and spent other resources to fight for and today we get xenophobia as returns,” the TUC said in a statement made available to ZENITHBLOG.com.
The labour organisation wondered why the usual attacks on Nigerians.
“How do we refer to this anti-Nigeria, nay Africa attitude? On Nigeria, One wonders what these South Africans are turning to. Is it a case of ingratitude or lack of historical documentation by their leaders, of the unmatched leadership role Nigeria played in the 80s towards the dismantling of apartheid?
“It is on record that thousands of South African children were brought to Nigerian and distributed across all the unity schools in Nigeria and were fed and housed free courtesy of Nigerian government and Nigerians.
“They were welcomed with open arms! How have their youth missed this history that Nigerians have become objects for destruction in modern day South Africa?” The TUC queried noting that out of about 2.3 million immigrants living in South Africa, only 1.6 million are Africans and they are engaged in small shops, vending, service industries.
“How come South Africans are not killing the whites that control about 8.7 percent of the population and controls over 85 percent wealth is a question begging for answer.
“The Chinese, Indians, Europeans, etc control the land and economy of South Africa yet they kill fellow Africans under the watch of security officials. African immigrants do not own lands neither do they run companies nor own mining companies, etc.
“We feel pained that despite the apparent position attitude of the Mr Jacob Zuma-led administration to investigate and punish those involved in accordance with the provisions of the law of the land over the years nothing was ever done.
“It is indeed quite unfortunate South Africa has forgotten in a hurry how Nigeria and the rest of the world rallied and mobilized support for the country during its apartheid experience,” the labour movement said.
It noted that South Africans have over 100 companies in Nigeria and that Nigerians have not attacked them even though they are seriously involved in anti-labour practices especially MTN, Shoprite and DSTV.
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“Over 50 percent of products sold at Shoprite are imported from South Africa yet we accommodate it. That is civility.
“Efforts were made to unionise MTN and others all to no avail which cannot happen in their country.
“It is important at this juncture that we let the African Union (AU) and United Nations Organisation (UNO) caution South Africans and let them know that no individuals or country has a monopoly of violence,” the statement by Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, TUC’s president, and Comrade Musa-Lawal Ozigi, its secretary, said.
The South African police spokesperson, Brigadier Mathapelo Peters, reportedly confirmed the latest attack on Nigerian businesses in the country on Monday, February 27, 2017.
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