Nigeria and South Africa have been engaged in a war of attrition in recent years, but the tension came to a head a fortnight ago when the two nations unleashed retaliatory attacks on each other.

When Africa’s two superpowers trade blows, the rest of the continent can only look on in utter shock and disbelief.
From all indications, the ongoing fight between these giants is a harbinger of things to come. These are turbulent times for bilateral and multilateral relations on the African continent. The future does not inspire confidence. We must brace for acrimony.
As you read this, there are tensions between South Africa and Zimbabwe which, if handled badly, could destabilise the whole of Southern Africa.

In the past, South Africa and Nigeria have maintained a veneer of mutual respect in their bilateral relations. As continental giants, a sobering reality has forced them to uphold “cordial” relations: they must either co-operate or face mutually assured destruction. And so a sense of pragmatism has kept the two nations on the path of enlightened self-interest, the realisation that each country, by generally furthering the interests of the other nation, ultimately furthers its own interests in the long run.
Even amid sharp differences over the spine-chilling ouster of President Laurent Gbagbo in Ivory Coast, the formula seemed to be working quite well — until the latest bout of

bilateral wrestling between Abuja and Pretoria.
Here is what happened. Recently, tensions boiled over when South Africa deported 125 Nigerians on allegations that they had fake yellow fever vaccination cards.
Among these deportees was a Nigerian senator, who was subjected to the indignity of being detained for 48 hours before the unceremonious deportation. Abuja did not take

kindly to this slap in the face, describing it as “harsh and unfriendly treatment”. The Nigerians protested, arguing that, under a standing agreement, South Africa was supposed to quarantine and vaccinate the Nigerian travellers instead of unilaterally deporting them.

Swift retaliation followed, even though Abuja chose to couch it in diplomatic-speak, calling it “reciprocity”. Nigeria promptly “reciprocated” by deporting 131 South Africans within 72 hours. It did not end there. The Nigerian government went a gear up by threatening to slap “sanctions” on South African companies operating in the West African country.
This tremendous threat jolted President Jacob Zuma’s government. Many South African conglomerates operate in Nigeria. For instance, South African-owned MTN is the biggest mobile phone network in Nigeria, with 42 million of the country’s 95 million subscribers. Stanbic Bank, satellite television operator Multichoice and supermarket chain Shoprite, among many other firms, also have extensive business interests in Nigeria.

With Pretoria cornered, what then followed was amazing. Nigeria’s foreign minister, Mr Olugbenga Ashiru, went for the jugular, telling the joint committee on foreign affairs of Nigeria’s national assembly that he was in favour of “retaliation” if South Africa chose not to apologise and punish the immigration officials who ordered the deportations. The foreign minister added that South Africa must compensate Arik Air, the Nigerian low-cost carrier which had suffered losses.
Nigeria’s ministry of foreign affairs summoned Mr Kingsley Mamabolo (he was previously stationed in Harare), South Africa’s ambassador, and handed him a strongly worded letter of protest. In that letter, the Nigerian government, quite curiously, said that although tuberculosis, HIV and Aids are prevalent in South Africa, Nigeria has never

demanded any evidence of vaccination against these diseases from South African visitors. Incredible stuff! Relations had indeed hit rock-bottom.

The South African government, perhaps realising the folly of its ways, apologised to Nigeria, saying: “We are apologising because we deported a number of people who should not have been deported. We apologise for this unfortunate incident and we hope this matter will not in any way affect our bilateral relations.”

Libya taught Africa never to trust both South Africa and Nigeria. Both are sinners. However, it is everyone’s hope that President Zuma’s government has learnt a lesson from this bilateral fight with President Goodluck Jonathan. Africans must treat each other with dignity and respect. After all, just yesterday we were in the trenches together and fought shoulder-to-shoulder against the twin evils of colonialism and apartheid.

For Zimbabwe and South Africa, vicious battles are looming ahead. These fights, precipitated by the same racist forces of old, are bound to strain relations and even test the revolutionary resolve of Zanu-PF and the ANC. 
Make no mistake, Zimbabwe’s ongoing indigenisation and economic empowerment revolution is angering white capital. There are big fights ahead. White capital will resist indigenisation, tooth and nail. Right now, Impala Platinum is telling the world that the Government of Zimbabwe must pay for its indigenisation stake in Zimplats. The question is: why should Zimbabweans pay South Africans and Australians for platinum that belongs to Zimbabwe? But when this fight gets really nasty, you can expect the ANC government to be caught in between. The ANC’s choice is clear: will the party of Oliver Tambo protect racist inequality or will it defend Zimbabwe’s rights? And when white capital takes the fight to court, how will Africa’s oldest liberation movement respond?

Embittered Rhodies and remnants of the apartheid system are using South Africa’s courts as a springboard for a dramatic political comeback.
In one of the political dramas playing out in the courts of South Africa, the Southern African Human Rights Litigation Centre Trust and the Zimbabwean Exiles’ Forum have filed an application to force prosecutors and the police in that country to investigate alleged human rights violations that occurred in Zimbabwe in 2007.
Once again, the ANC is in the spotlight. How will President Zuma’s government respond to such a lawsuit? Time will tell.