XENOPHOBIC violence in
South Africa has given rise to
concerns that South Africans
travelling into Africa will be
targeted in reprisal attacks.
The SA consulate in Nigeria
was closed on April 22 after
a spate of anti-xenophobia
protests, according to various
media reports. South African
consul general in Nigeria,
Sam Monaisa, reportedly
said in an email to the SA
business forum in Nigeria that
Nigerians were making use
of social media to escalate
the already tense situation.
He warned forum members
to stay alert and not move
around unnecessarily, saying
that South African businesses
and citizens become targets of
threats and acts of retaliation
whenever xenophobic attacks
take place in South Africa.
However, Chris Maroleng,
executive Group Corporate
Affairs at MTN, told TNW: “We
have not received any direct
communication from a credible
source that they will shut down
MTN operations in Nigeria.”
He added that MTN would
not repatriate any staff for the
moment, as there had been no
threats made to SA staff.
In Mozambique, protests
against xenophobia in South
Africa resulted in the temporary
closure of the Lebombo
border post between SA and
Mozambique after reports that
cars with SA registration plates
were being stoned and trucks
exporting goods grounded. The
border post has since been
reopened.
Sasol has evacuated
340 SA employees from its
Mozambique operation out of
fear for their safety. Mining
company, Kenmare Resources,
has temporarily repatriated the
SA members of its workforce
at the Moma Mine, saying it
was a precautionary measure,
due to unrest regarding foreign
workers in South Africa,
which had recently created
reciprocal unrest concerning
South Africans working in
Mozambique.
Until formal government
advisories against travel into
Africa are issued, or local
partners caution against travel,
there is no credible reason
for a TMC to advise its clients
not to travel at this time, says
Ben Langner, md of Carlson
Wagonlit Travel.
As far as duty of care is
concerned, it’s important to
keep close track of travellers,
monitor developments and
take pro-active steps, when
necessary, to ensure the
travellers’ safety, he says. “We
are advising our corporate
travellers to take advice from
their local partners, heed any
formal advisories and ensure
that all relevant parties are
aware of their travel plans. It’s
important to constantly monitor
developments and be ready to
make changes to travel plans
at short notice, should the
need arise.”
Paul O’Brien, regional
security manager of
International SOS, says
affected personnel should
monitor news sources and
liaise with local contacts to
stay abreast of changes to
the security situation. “SA
nationals should maintain a
low profile, minimise movement
to protected commercial
sites, tourist locations or
established business centres
in the near term. If there are
tensions or direct threats
made against a company you
are visiting, it is advisable to
defer non-essential travel or
relocate meetings to neutral
venues until the situation
normalises.”
