Chairman of the United Bank of Africa, Tony Elumelu, has reacted to the latest xenophobic attack in South Africa against foreign nationals, noting that Africans are not each other’s problem, but rather poverty.
Writing on Instagram earlier today, the businessman and philanthropist strongly denounced the attacks, calling on Africans to desist from fighting each other and focus on collectively fighting the extreme poverty ravaging the continent.
According to him, it was appalling to read about and watch videos of the senseless violence which he described as barbaric, despicable, and pure madness. He then called out South Africans for the violence, stressing that killing foreigners whilst “looting and destroying their means of livelihood is evil and un-African and it dehumanizes us all.”
He also reiterated his belief in Africa and Africans, explaining that this belief has been the underlining factor in every business decision he has ever made, including the decision to empower African entrepreneurs through his Tony Elumelu Foundation.
“Let’s not lose sight of our shared destiny. It is only together we can face our common enemy – poverty. We need to stop attacking each other but rather embrace one and work together to uplift our content and be our brother’s and sister’s protectors wherever we may find ourselves. This is the only way to our economic liberation and prosperity. We must say no to barbarism and savagery.”
Elumelu’s reaction is coming days after a fresh wave of xenophobic attacks rocked some South African cities, leaving scores either dead or injured and many foreign-owned shops looted and torched.
Meanwhile, last night, there were reported incidents of reprisal attacks on some South African companies in Nigeria. Companies like MTN Nigeria, Shoprite, and DSTV have remained targets.