Any nation without immigrants?

SIR: The horrific images that presented in the wake of Zulu King, Goodwill Zwelinthini’s statement, weren’t just disturbing but a proof that crime without punishment, violence without consequence, increase the occurrences of negative actions.

Scores of foreigners have been killed in renewed xenophobic attacks in South Africa’s Kwazulu Natal province. Lives have been lost, immigrants’ properties destroyed, shops belonging to foreigners looted and a pledge for a complete wipe-out of non-South Africans made, all because of hatred – renewed by the Zulu King’s utterances.

I am not interested in going through the history of how Nigeria especially helped rescue the people of South Africa from apartheid or how still, we help grow its business and boost its economy through such actions.

My interest is in the question: Are there nations without immigrants? If any South African can point out a nation in this world that has no single immigrant, then I will push for foreigners to leave South Africa for South Africans. But if they can’t, then I suggest they let foreigners be.

The reason for their rejuvenated attack is that foreigners steal jobs meant for them and as such, they are unemployed and now depend on foreigners. South Africans are historically lazy and as most of them often say, hard work isn’t their calling.

In the early days of Nigerians’ migration to South Africa, what the people did was to sell lands to them, use the money for the consumption of ethanol (umqombothi as they call it).

It is painful as it is disheartening that this is what we have to be going through in the hands of those we call brothers. In October, 2007, when legendary singer Lucky Dube was murdered, the assailants said they thought he was a Nigerian, because he looked good and drove costly car. The South African authorities never did anything, eight years after.

South Africans should imagine what their country would look like not just economically, but in every other area of life when all foreigners leave. As we wait for such a time, I will leave them with the words of their iconic leader, Nelson Mandela: “We cannot blame other people for our troubles.

We are not victims of the influx of foreign people into South Africa. We must remember that it was mainly due to the aggressive and hostile policies of the apartheid regime that the economic development of our neighbours was undermined.” South Africans, stop xenophobic attacks! • Jeff Okoroafor, Founder, OpinionNigeria