Following the online xenophobic harassment directed at Chidimma Adetshina, young Nigerians have expressed feelings of being unwelcome in South Africa.
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Chidimma Adetshina, a law student hailing from Johannesburg, is the daughter of a South African mother of Mozambican descent and a Nigerian father. She was compelled to withdraw from the competition for the Miss South Africa title due to a xenophobic campaign [Fawaz Oyedeji/AFP].
By Qaanitah Hunter Published On 17 Sep 2024 17 Sep 2024 Save articles to read later and create your own reading list. Johannesburg, South Africa – Anita Odunyao Solarin, a 21-year-old Nigerian who has lived her entire life in South Africa, believes it is safer to keep her West African heritage private. She strives to blend in with her peers and seldom reveals her origins. According to her, this approach protects her from ongoing bullying, a challenge she has encountered since childhood after relocating to South Africa as an infant. “I make an effort to conceal my background and avoid appearing Nigerian. I socially suppress my identity,” Solarin explained to Al Jazeera. “Having done this for so long, it has become second nature.” Her earliest recollections of the discord between South Africans and Nigerians trace back to her kindergarten years, where she experienced mistreatment from a classmate. “It was disheartening. A child, merely four years old, harbored animosity towards me despite our shared school, appearance, and activities,” Solarin recounted. “My academic experience was challenging due to the bullying I faced regarding my heritage. I was subjected to name-calling, particularly the derogatory term, makwerekwere [a local slur for foreigner]. South Africans often hold the belief that if you are not one of them, you do not belong here,” she added, her frustration evident.
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