Nigerian novelist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani reflects on her country's
souring relations with South Africa because of xenophobic attacks.
Animosity
between Africa's two superpowers - Nigeria and South Africa - has heightened in
recent weeks, with an influential Nigerian student body demanding that all
South African-owned businesses leave the West African state.
The National
Association of Nigerian Students (Nans) - which represents university students
at campuses across the country - has picketed branches of South African
telecoms giant MTN, and those of supermarket chain Shoprite, turning away staff
and customers.
Those
protests were sparked by the death of a Nigerian woman who was reportedly
strangled in her hotel room during a visit to the South African city of
Johannesburg.
Elizabeth
Ndubuisi-Chukwu is just the latest Nigerian to die in South Africa in
apparently violent circumstances.
'Killings
must stop'
An autopsy
revealed she had died of "unnatural causes consistent with
strangulation" but officials say CCTV footage showed that nobody entered
her room. Police are still investigating.
The Nigerian
media seem to report at least one such incident every month, with numerous news
outlets using the same telling headline: "Another Nigerian killed in South
Africa."
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