The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), experts, and other stakeholders from Nigeria and South Africa have bemoaned the recent wave of xenophobic and anglophobic attacks against foreigners, especially Nigerians, in South Africa, leading to their expulsion from the country.
They spoke at the weekend during the 2026 Nelson Mandela International Day commemorative lecture, themed “Mandela’s Long Shadow: Foreign Influence Campaigns and the Struggle for South Africa’s Democratic Identity,” organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) West Africa, ASUU, and Nasarawa State University (NSUK), Keffi.
According to them, Mandela would be weeping in his grave over the unfortunate situation in South Africa today.
They said the ideology of the late iconic liberation fighter, Nelson Mandela, who fought the apartheid regime in South Africa for justice, democracy, and an egalitarian society, has been severely undermined, hence the need for immediate and decisive action to stem the tide.
Speaking at the event, Comrade John Odah, Chair of the International Governing Council (IGC), CDD West Africa, and Executive Secretary of the Organisation of Trade Unions of West Africa, noted that commemorating the life and times of Mandela comes at a time when South Africa once again finds itself in the midst of violent xenophobic attacks against African migrants from neighbouring countries and across the continent, with Nigerians featuring prominently among the victims.
According to him, meting out violence against Black Africans living in South Africa damages the image of the country and its people.
Odah said it is difficult to explain away the disturbing images of migrants fleeing South Africa to their countries of origin and the painful stories they recount about the maltreatment they suffered.
“We are not unmindful of the damage caused by these attacks by Black South Africans against fellow Black Africans. However, we are equally encouraged by the remarkable response from thousands of South Africans who have stood in solidarity with their African brothers and sisters.
“We have been in contact with South African organisations that are mobilising support, including blankets and other relief materials, for displaced migrants who have been forced to sleep outdoors in extremely harsh winter conditions,” Odah, a former General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said.
He cautioned that the dream of a united Africa, conceived by the founding fathers through the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, now the African Union (AU), must not be derailed by forces seeking to undermine Mandela’s vision and South Africa’s democratic ideals.
He said: “Some of the issues fuelling the current crisis in our country are being created by actors acting on the instructions of extra-continental forces that do not want Nigeria to realise its full potential. With our enormous resources, they also see South Africa as the next country that can help move Africa forward alongside Nigeria. What they are trying to do is tear that apart.”
While condemning xenophobic attacks in South Africa, ASUU urged African leaders to speak out against them and take united action to discourage such acts.
He said: “We equally urge African governments to deepen continental cooperation, protect the rights and dignity of all African citizens wherever they reside, and ensure that those responsible for xenophobic violence are brought to justice.”
Also speaking, the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Christopher Piwuna Goson, represented by the ASUU Chairman, Nasarawa State University Chapter, Comrade Zubairu Abdulmumini, said that although Mandela had every reason to seek revenge against the white minority rulers for his imprisonment, he instead chose peace and reconciliation after his release.
Prof. Piwuna said no aspect of Mandela’s legacy speaks more powerfully to the present moment than his remarkable capacity for peace and reconciliation.
“After spending twenty-seven years in prison under the brutal apartheid regime, Mandela did not preach vengeance against his white jailers or the Boer establishment that denied him his freedom. Instead, he embraced forgiveness without abandoning justice, choosing nation-building over hatred, dialogue over revenge, and reconciliation over retribution.
“For ASUU, Mandela’s legacy imposes an enduring obligation on African intellectuals, workers, students, and democratic movements to defend truth, challenge oppression in all its forms, and promote critical scholarship capable of exposing manipulation, injustice, and inequality. Universities must remain centres of independent thought, where knowledge serves the people rather than narrow political or foreign interests.
“He understood that democracy could only flourish where human dignity transcends race, ethnicity, nationality, and identity. It is against this enduring moral example that ASUU expresses its profound concern over recurring xenophobic attacks against fellow Africans in South Africa, including Nigerians and citizens of other African countries. Such acts of violence, intimidation, discrimination, and exclusion stand in direct contradiction to Mandela’s vision of a democratic, inclusive, and Pan-African South Africa.
“They diminish the sacrifices of those who fought and died to end apartheid and weaken the bonds of African solidarity that sustained South Africa throughout its liberation struggle.
“ASUU unequivocally condemns all forms of xenophobia and identity-based violence. There can be no justification for attacking fellow Africans who seek lawful livelihoods, contribute to economic development, and share a common history of struggle against colonialism and racial oppression. Africa’s strength lies not in division but in unity, mutual respect, and shared prosperity,” he said.
One of the panellists and a South African trade unionist, Zwelinzima Vavi, said Mandela would never have supported any action that humiliates Black immigrants if he were alive today.
He blamed the unrest on bad governance, corruption, inequality, and exploitation that have engulfed South Africa and tend to set “the poor against the poor.”
“Let us reject xenophobia, let us reject anything that divides Africa, and let us reaffirm the spirit of Africa and Nelson Mandela’s legacy,” he said.
Another panellist and labour activist, Comrade Hauwa Mustapha, said the situation in South Africa is being worsened by what she described as a dual identity crisis afflicting citizens who now consider themselves less African than other Africans.
On his part, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of NSUK, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said Mandela stood for a democracy sustained through sacrifice, tolerance, dialogue, respect for diversity, and the collective pursuit of the common good.
He, however, said the recent xenophobic incidents in South Africa “do not reflect the ideals and enduring legacy of Nelson Mandela, who championed unity, equality, human dignity, and peaceful coexistence among all people, regardless of nationality or background.”
Represented by Mr Thomas Ari Ogiri, a member of the Governing Council of NSUK, Jega said Mandela’s struggle was not merely for the freedom of South Africans but also for the universal values of justice, peace, and human rights.
He said: “Today, we honour a man whose unwavering courage, resilience, and commitment to justice transformed a nation divided by apartheid into a democracy founded on equality, human dignity, reconciliation, and the rule of law.”
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Premium Times, Mr Dapo Olorunyomi, represented by Mr Silas Jonathan, said there are indications that external forces are involved in campaigns aimed at creating disaffection and disunity among African nations.
According to him, the attacks on Black immigrants in South Africa are being fuelled by foreign interests through manipulative messaging designed to create friction among the population.
He said South Africa, and indeed other African countries, should preserve and nurture the principles and legacy of Nelson Mandela for future generations.
He noted that Mandela fought for the principles of equality and justice not only for the people of South Africa but for humanity as a whole.
The Director of CDD West Africa, Dr Dauda Garuba, said developments in South Africa should instead be used to stimulate broader conversations about Africa’s future rather than focusing solely on the events unfolding there.
“We should look beyond the attacks; we should focus on what African development should look like. As much as we celebrate Mandela’s enduring legacy within the context of what he offered Africa and South Africa, we need to internalise what Mandela, both as an African and an international figure, epitomised and use it to build a solid foundation for Africa’s development,” Garuba said.
Other panellists and participants said that while the ongoing developments in South Africa do not reflect what Mandela stood for, they also represent a clear departure from the democratic principles of equality and social justice for which Mandela was known and celebrated.
They suggested a rejigging of Nigeria’s foreign policy to ensure the protection and promotion of the country’s economic and strategic interests in all its engagements with other nations.
