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Data from the South African Institute of International Affairs SAIIA, clearly states that, from 1960 to 1995, Nigeria alone, spent over $61 billion (about 8.5trillion Naira), to support the end of apartheid in their country. That was more than any other country in the world.
The SAIIA, headquartered at the Jan Smuts House in the University of Witwatersrand, East Campus in Johannesburg, emphatically claims that, Nigeria unequivocally took over leadership of the anti-apartheid movement worldwide, despite the volatile nature of our country’s politics and the passage of numerous military and civil leaders, affirming also that Nigeria never abandoned its unwavering commitment to the freedom of black South Africans from the shackles of aparthied.
The SAIIA, recalled that, in 1976, Nigeria set up the Southern Africa Relief Fund (SAFR) aimed at bringing relief to the victims of the apartheid regime in South Africa and provide educational opportunities and general welfare to them.
The military administration of General Obasanjo contributed $3.7 million to the fund. Moreover, General Obasanjo made a personal donation of $3,000, while each member of his cabinet also made personal contributions of $1,500 each. All Nigeria’s civil servants and public officers made a 2 percent donation from their monthly salary to the SARF, which was popularly known in Nigeria as “Mandela Tax.” Students in Nigerian schools skipped their lunch to make donations, and in just 6 months, in June 1977, contributions to the fund reached $10.5 million.
In fact, on the 4th of April 1961, just six months after Nigeria gained independence from the British crown, our very first Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa, wrote a letter declaring that, “The battle against Apartheid has just begun.” He played his part as promised and successive administrations after him continued the struggle. After the brutal take down and massacre of 700 black students by the white apartheid police during a protest by black students against the decision by the apartheid regime to change their education language to Afrikaans, many black students and ANC leaders made the wanted list of the Botha regime and needed to leave their country to safety.
A first group of 86 black South African students arrived in Nigeria in 1976 to study for FREE. Hundreds of other black students and exiled ANC leaders followed subsequently, as part of the activities of the Southern Africa Relief Fund.
Beyond welcoming students and exiles, Nigeria had also welcomed many renowned South Africans like Thabo Mbeki, former South African President, who spent 7 years in Ikoyi, Lagos Nigeria, from 1977 to 1984, before he left our country to the ANC headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia.
300 Nigerian passports were issued to black South African leaders, who could not travel abroad because the apartheid regime had withdrawn their passports. This was particularly crucial because they needed to travel the world to seek international support and solidarity to end apartheid in their country.
Along with fellow African countries, Nigeria led the lobby for the creation of the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid. Again, when the Commonwealth Prime Ministers and Heads of Government, met in Nassen, Switzerland in October 1985, the idea of a Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group (EPG) was birthed by Nigeria and inaugurated, and mandated to discuss and agree with the South African apartheid regime on measures designed to pilot South Africa to a democratic form of government.
At a time when the US, UK and Israel, were all very staunch supporters and allies of the apartheid regime in South Africa, when the US State Department and the UK Foreign Office, both listed Mandela and other ANC leaders as terrorists, the dismantling of the Botha regime and eradication of apartheid was a cardinal and consistent principle in Nigeria’s foreign policy. The rapport between Nigeria and the South African freedom fighters, ripened into a firm and cordial relationship. And in turn, the Botha regime was angered and locked up 10 Nigerians for our country’s financial support to ANC leaders.
Therefore, it is not only ironic but somewhat foolish for the people of South Africa, particularly the black people in that country, to wake up today and think that Nigerians are their problem. If Nigerians are committing crimes in South Africa as alleged, methinks that South Africa has a fairly strong enough legal system, even stronger than Nigeria, that can address such concerns via their country’s legal system. Get the so-called criminals arrested and try them fairly in your courts and if found guilty, jail them accordingly. Migration is a human right. People cannot stop migrating, whether it is to South Africa or anywhere else in the world.
But to stand up with cudgels and weapons to maim, beat and kill other blacks who have not committed any crime, solely because they are from Nigeria, a people who suffered so much with you in your days of adversity, is not only ingratitude of the meanest order, is a mistake that they will live to severely regret in the years to come. Their future is indeed, waiting with a knife!
Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.
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