Recently, some Nigerians living in South Africa were reported to have been victims of violence allegedly fuelled by xenophobia. Hate crimes against Nigerians living in South Africa are nothing new. Since the dismantling of apartheid, Nigerians and other African nationals living in the country of the Madiba have been the subjects of coordinated xenophobic violence reminiscent of what black South Africans themselves suffered during the apartheid era. The story of this recent violence was not different from previous attacks. Reports of spontaneous assault by some South African members of Port Nolloth community were said to have targeted the Nigerian community living in the area.
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They were reportedly chased out of their homes, their property looted and their shops burnt. The attackers have always accused the Nigerians of dealing in drugs. But the Nigerian community in South Africa has denied the allegation. They in turn have accused the South Africans of envy. They claimed South Africans have always felt threatened by the business success of Nigerians living in the country. Frequent attacks on Nigeria in South Africa have often grabbed media attention. Strangely, the South African government has uncharacteristically condemned the latest incident as xenophobia. Since 2006, hate crime has been on the increase. It peaked in 2008 with the widespread violence that targeted foreign nationals.
