9th July, 2015
Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan
Scholars from various disciplines in the humanities, arts and social sciences and students on Wednesday, 8 July, 2015 gathered at Lady Bank Anthony Hall, University of Ibadan, UI, to brainstorm on issues relating to xenophobia on the African continent and the world in general.
The programme put together by the institution’s Institute of African Studies, had two panels of discussants who extensively deliberated on the topic: Xenophobia Beyond The South African Imaginary: Tracking Xenophobia And Its Trajectories In Africa.
The first panel, which dwelt on South Africa and the recent xenophobic attacks on Africans in that country, comprised immediate past Dean, Faculty of Arts, Professor Aderemi Raji-Oyelade, Dr. Bukola Adesina from the Department of Political Science, Dr. Jendele Hugbo from North West University, South Africa, Dr. Osita Ezeliora from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, and Dr. Willie Ezelebor of the Institute of African Studies.
The second panel which examined the topic Perspectives On Other African Spaces, comprised the former UI Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, Professor Adigun Agbaje, Professor Isaac Albert, and Dr. Nathaniel Danjibo from the Institute of African Studies in UI, Professor Obodomina Oha and Professor Charles Adesina, from the Departments of English and History respectively, and Dr. Babajide Ololajulo from the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology of the same university.
In his brief remarks, Chairman of the occasion, Professor Dele Layiwola noted that xenophobia in South Africa became a vicious assertion for space and self-affirmation and not just some watery excuses of political campaigns for cultural or linguistic purification.
Setting the tone for the panels’ discussion, the convener, Dr. Senayon Olaoluwa, in his speech noted that xenophobia, both in historical and contemporary terms, is depicted as the antithesis of progress.
Senayon explained that where it has succeeded in keeping strangers out of an indigenous national and regional space, its perpetrators are viewed and designated as being hostile to strangers and where it has failed, and strangers have succeeded in gaining integration either through forced or peaceful means, individual and groups behind the failed resistance are remembered in a negative light.
Pointing out that the failure recorded in many African states to the detriment of their citizens led to seeking greener pasture in South Africa which explained the pressure on the country’s borders that resulted in xenophobic explosions, he noted that this did not excuse xenophobic tendencies precisely because they frustrate pan- African ideals.
Raji-Oyelade defined and explained various kinds of phobias, narrowing them down to the focus of the discussion – xenophobia, establishing that xenophobia is not only in South Africa but also in Nigeria including the nation’s tertiary institutions.
Aligning with Raji-Oyelade, Oha cautioned on behaviours and utterances that could promote xenophobic attacks.
Shedding light on xenophobia and its causes and prevention, Dr. Adesina, who described xenophobia as the unreasoned fear of that which is perceived to be foreign or strange or the fear of strangers who are referred to in South Africa as Kwerekere or in the plural form, Amakwerekere, traced the increase of xenophobia to 1994 when the nation gained her freedom from white supremacists in the apartheid era.
Pointing out that ever since, migrants from the African continent especially Zimbabwe, Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Ethiopia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Bangladesh who have moved there to seek refuge from poverty, economic crises, war and government persecution in their home countries have become victims of deadly attacks in provinces such as Gauteng, Western Cape, Free State, Limpopo and KwaZulu Natal.
She said: “Reasons for the attacks differ, with some blaming the contestation for scarce resources, others attribute it to the country’s violent past, inadequate service delivery and the influence of micro politics in townships, involvement and complicity of local authority members, conflicts for economic and political reasons, failure of early warning and prevention mechanisms regarding community-based violence; and also local residents’ claims that foreigners took jobs opportunities away from local South Africans and they accept lower wages, foreigners do not participate in the struggle for better wages and working conditions.
“Other local South Africans claim that foreigners are criminals, and they should not have access to services and police protection as well as not particularly like the presence of refugees, asylum-seekers or foreigners in their communities. Foreigners are also blamed for their businesses that take away customers from local residents and the spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS.”
Affirming that xenophobia is as old as South Africa, she condemned Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini for making inciting statements that resulted in the recent attacks on the foreigners which claimed many lives without giving recognition to brotherhood.
She also condemned the attitude of the government of South Africa and security agencies especially the police who were reluctant to describe the attacks as xenophobic.
Dr. Adesina also called for the implementation of policies that adequately address xenophobia in all its ugly complexities, the need to deal with the culture of violence, teaching African history in schools, as well as Nigerian political leaders living up to their responsibility by delivering good governance that will make the country better for all Nigerians so that they will stop migrating to countries where they are not protected as ways to tackle xenophobia.