The Nigerianization of Crimes in South Africa

Earlier this month, another series of attacks against African migrants in South Africa resurfaced. Since an earlier outburst in 2008, xenophobic violence in South Africa has remained a shocking experience for the continent because of the reality that the attacks specifically target black Africans—the same people that supported South African movements for liberation from the horrendous regime of apartheid. Although a lingering issue, the recent wave of attacks featured more anti-Nigerian sentiments, repeated claims that Nigerians are promoters of crimes fast destroying South African communities. For example, amid the attacks, Foreign Affairs Minister, Naledi Pandor, remarked that there is ‘…the belief and the reality that our people have that there are many persons from Nigeria, who are dealing in drugs in our country, who are harming our young people by making drugs easily available to them.’ Thabo Mbeki, the former president and respected African statesman, was similarly quoted as saying that ‘the truth of the matter is that there are Nigerian criminals, who are involved in drug dealing, and that’s true. There are Nigerian criminals who are involved in prostitution and that’s true.’