Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma and his counterpart Goodluck Jonathan need to work harder to resolve heightened tensions between South Africa and Nigeria.
This was an impassioned appeal by former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Olusegun Obasanjo in the wake of reports of growing animosity between the two countries.
“I know President Jacob Zuma does care about this matter and is keen to have it resolved. We should not have an air of animosity. Our current leadership in both countries need to work hard to ensure that this relationship is sustained,” Mbeki said, speaking during a panel discussion at the Old Mutual Wisdom Forum gala dinner in Rosebank on Thursday night.
Reports claimed that Abuja had threatened retaliation against major South African companies, including MTN, after South Africa allegedly blocked Nigeria’s legal arms purchase.
This came amid South Africa’s frustration over the Nigerian government’s shoddy handling of the collapse of a guesthouse in Lagos at Pastor TB Joshua’s The Synagogue, Church of All Nations church, in which more than 80 South Africans died.
Refusal by Nigerian authorities to allow South Africa access to the crash site and hospitals where the injured South Africans were being treated appear to have further strained relations between two of Africa’s largest economies.
Mbeki and Obasanjo appealed for more decisive action between South Africa and Nigeria’s leaders to stop the relations from deteriorating further.
“Certainly all of us will be concerned about that (conflict). But I tend to think of it in a positive way. I know many Nigerians would like to normalise the relations and many South Africans share that view.”
Obasanjo said: “Of course I am concerned because relations between South Africa and Nigeria should be (good). I remember… Thabo Mbeki and I used to look at it melancholically. We were hoping that when SA was free, we would have two strong countries and that together we would carry the African basket high. All I am saying is that successors need to try harder.”
Obasanjo and Mbeki also called on big business to become part of the “African rising” story by getting involved in social and economic development projects on the continent.
“There’s a need in the corporate world for a broader, deeper understanding of African challenges to become part of the story of Africa rising,” Mbeki said. “That means looking beyond something called the bottom line… I think conditions exist for us to become part of Africa’s good story.”
Mbeki added that social and economic development in Africa would not be achieved if only a few people benefit while the rest of the population remains stuck in poverty and deprivation.
“We talk about Africa rising, but it is rising for some people… If some rise and the rest of the people remain where they are, it raises dissatisfaction and leads to conflict.”
And while there was a general commitment to resolve conflict and stop the outbreaks of war among African leaders, Mbeki said there was still a need for political cohesion and co-operation.
“We also have to ask why the fighting started and what it is we can do to ensure it doesn’t recur. There’s the failure among us to build the common political leadership because of competition for religious and (economic) resources.
“I have a sense that over a period of time… political risk has been diminished,” Mbeki said.
“All of us or many of us are very conscious of a bad past… The majority of people don’t want to go back (to conflicts and violence).”
Mbeki and Obasanjo were asked about events like the Marikana massacre and the threat posed by terrorist groups like Boko Haram.
“This business of the shooting of Marikana workers is extremely bad, particularly in a democratic South Africa. But it also raised questions about mining and the employment practices in this country,” Mbeki said.
He added that he hoped the Farlam Commission of Inquiry into the Marikana massacre “will come up with something (positive)”.
Sunday Independent