As at last month, up to 55 countries of Africa (including South Africa) have signed on to the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (#AfCFTA) agreement of the African Union (AU). And the preparations for the operationalisation of this agreement have commenced.
This AfCFTA agreement primarily seeks to promote trade — free movement of goods, services and people — within the African continent.
But the xenophobic (and opportunistic criminal elements in) South Africans are not on the same page: They do not have grips on emerging realities. Instead, they are attacking and killing African nationals — destroying their businesses and properties in their country.
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Contradiction. A big one at that.
But on the flip side, since South Africa already largely attracts other African nationals, AU as a matter of policy must work with the government and people to tackle the socio-political and economic problems manifesting as deadly xenophobia! AU should come up with an intervention!
This problem — particular in line with the AfCFTA — should be addressed as regional problem. Obviously, the South African government, cannot be said to have grip on it.
