By Muhammad Bello Shehu
My life as a student of literature had a profound impact on my worldview. Flipping through the pages of texts from across the world exposes you to different histories, cultures and the cosmological views that have shaped different civilizations. One such text was a play by Athol Fugard titled Sizwe Bansi is Dead. Recent events in South Africa are reminiscent of the plot from that play.
The Play
Sizwe Bansi is Dead is a play about a man called Sizwe Bansi who has gone to Port Elizabeth in search of work. But he could not find a job due to the apartheid policy that required granting work permits to non-white workers. Sizwe was expected to leave the city since he could not secure a work permit. Sizwe was introduced to Buntu by a friend called Zola. Buntu was expected to find Sizwe a job but failed. He decided to take Sizwe out for a drink as consolation. Auspiciously, Buntu found a dead man as he relieves himself. Instead of notifying the police as suggested by Sizwe, he searched for the dead man’s ID booklet and discovered that he had work permit. He then suggested that Sizwe must use the dead man’s identity in order to find work in the city. At first Sizwe rejected the idea, believing it to be senseless. For Sizwe, taking the identity booklet means becoming the dead man, as the name ‘Sizwe Bansi’ will cease to exist while the dead man, who we came to know as Robert Zwelinzima, will return to the world of the living. In the end, Sizwe agreed to burn his identity booklet and adopted the name Robert Zwelinzima. He went to take his picture at Stiles Photo Studio to capture the moment in time. At the Studio, he wrote a letter to his wife and children notifying them of his death; he hoped for a remarriage as Robert Zwelinzima. The play exposed the problems of identity, politics, and subjugation under the apartheid system.
Swapping apartheid with xenophobia
Apartheid was an institutionalized racism that benefited the white minority population and caused economic hardship on the black majority. The effects of the apartheid policies were physical and psychological; this is seen in the death of Robert Zwelinzima, as death is not an escape. And the illusion of Sizwe’s character been brought to life by a dead man. The fear and hate that drove the apartheid system are still prevalent in the sociopolitical and economic issues in South Africa today.
The remnant of the institutional bias has evolved into an institutional-backed xenophobia. The experience of Chidinma Adetshina is reminiscent of the experience of this. According to the South African authorities, Chidinma’s mother had allegedly stolen the identity of another woman in order to secure citizenship and to register Chidinma in the country. The accusation has led to xenophobic attacks from institutions and individuals against Chidinma. Although, the authorities have declared that the beauty contestant is a citizen, it has done little to shield her from the attacks that have forced her to withdraw from the competition. Identity has remained a major issue in South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1996. Chidinma may be its newest victim, but xenophobic attacks have been on the rise in recent years. In 2017, over 60 people lost their lives in violent attacks while some attackers dragged their victims to the authorities demanding their immediate deportation. Seven years after that incident, the police and authorities have continued to fail in stopping xenophobic attacks. South Africans have also become victims of xenophobia, as we have seen with the death of the famous reggae artist, Lucky Dube. His killers, in an attempt to garner sympathy, casually confessed to the act claiming they mistook him for a Nigerian. As if to say the crime of murder is less severe if the victim is a Nigerian.
What is fueling the fear and hate?
Various reports have often cited different flashpoints as the reasons for xenophobia. One of which is the endemic drug problem in the country. According to a study published by the International Journal of Drug Policy, drug use among South Africans has increased in the last 2 decades, a problem the natives blamed on Nigerians and other immigrants. Although the authorities have come up with the National Drug Master Plan of 2017–2024 to address the problem, the plan remained ineffective, according to a March, 2024 news report by Jesse Copelyn.
Another commonly cited reason for the flashpoint has been the economy. The S.A. economy has been struggling to create new jobs due to an energy crisis and an industrial-scale mismanagement that has taken place over the years. Several government officials, including the former president Jacob Zuma, have been accused of corruption and put on trial.
Entangled with the slowing economy is the issue of immigration. Immigration has become a major issue across the world, as we have seen in Europe and America. Natives the world over have insisted on blaming immigrants for their economic problems. Immigration now has a major influence on electoral choices across the world.
Towards possible solutions
The answers to economic challenges are neither fear nor hate. Poverty, relative deprivation, and frustration with government cannot legitimize xenophobia against Nigerians and other African immigrants. The solutions to economic challenges are leadership and hard work. Immigration adds to economic growth via material contribution to a country’s GDP. Like Sizwe, immigrants tend to take jobs that native workers avoid due to long-standing familial ties that hinder mobility. According to the foremost economist Tyler Cowen, immigrants boost productivity by providing affordable labor to the manufacturing industry. Cowen rejects the term ‘cheap labor’ declaring that it misleads economic policies in the age of globalization. In addition, the works of American economists like Marjolaine Gauthier-Loiselle have shown that immigrants support innovation. This is because they introduce new ways of solving problems. Immigration has expanded the GDP of countries like Germany, France, and the United States. This is not to suggest that immigration does not present challenges; however, trade remains the backbone of international relations, and the benefits of cross-cultural integration only expand trade and cooperation. One of such areas where cooperation has occurred is in the music industry. Nigerian and South African artists have flourished on the world stage, creating numerous opportunities for the industry in Africa. Afrobeat and Amanpiano have become the tune of the continent and a platform for development cooperation. Therefore, it is clear that Nigerians and other Africans are no threat to the culture and traditions of native South Africans.
The experiences and lessons from apartheid, as captured in the works of poets like Oswald Mtshali and playwrights like Athol Fugard, should inspire the South African people to pursue the aspirations of founding fathers like Nelson Mandela and his dream of a rainbow nation. S.A. must heed the call against the double standard that has led to the challenges of multilateralism today. Where the international community cannot condemn the actions in Ukraine, Palestine, or Myanmar, among others, with one voice, rather its criticism is motivated by geopolitical alliances. South Africa’s pursuit of peace and justice in the world is evident in its support for the aspirations of the Palestinian people at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. Hence, South Africa cannot pursue justice for the Palestinians while allowing fear and hate against immigrants take root in its homeland. S.A leaders, must therefore, not allow economic challenges to distract it from the role that destiny has presented to its people. The authorities must increase policing to protect immigrants and address drug problem. Indeed, it is not easy to bear the burden of leadership; however, it is necessary. The people of South Africa have conquered hate before, and they will do it again.
