Nigerian author says South Africa ‘biting the hand that fed it’ and demands repayment

A Nigerian author has accused South Africa of ingratitude over attacks on Nigerians and called for a formal repayment for Nigeria’s financial support during the anti-apartheid struggle.

Author highlights financial backing for liberation

In a series of Facebook posts, Kio Amachree said Nigeria was a major backer of the anti-apartheid movement and that the country “spent over $61 billion” supporting the struggle from 1960 to 1995, a figure he attributed to the SA Institute of International Affairs.

Amachree wrote that Nigerians contributed in ways both large and small: he said Nigerian “schoolchildren skipping lunch” and public servants surrendering “2% of their monthly pay” helped finance the cause. He also quoted a figure for popular contributions to the Southern Africa Relief Fund, saying that in June 1977 donations reached $10.5 million, and that the donations were known in Nigeria as the “Mandela tax.”

Sanctuary, schooling and passports

Amachree said Nigeria opened its classrooms and offered sanctuary, and that the Nigerian High Commission in Botswana issued passports to South Africans who had fled their country. He also noted that former president Thabo Mbeki spent seven years living in Nigeria.

Accusations of ingratitude and manipulation

Describing recent attacks on Nigerians and calls for them to leave South Africa, Amachree said these “are not the actions of a nation that remembers its debts.” He added that such actions showed “a particular kind of ingratitude so spectacular it almost deserves a standing ovation.”

He rejected claims that Nigerians were to blame for the drug trade, calling that allegation “a lie of breathtaking convenience,” and said South Africans who turn on their Nigerian neighbours had been “cruelly manipulated.” He named politician Gayton McKenzie as an example of those who have redirected frustration, saying social media algorithms and some politicians had assisted that redirection.

Repayment proposal and territorial suggestion

Amachree put forward a formal proposal and set a deadline: he said “South Africa has until June 30” to present a repayment schedule to Nigeria. He offered options for payment, including cash to be routed through the Nigerian Embassy in Pretoria or directly to the Nigerian Presidency.

As an alternative, Amachree proposed that South Africa cede the Western Cape to Nigeria “in lieu of cash,” suggesting Nigeria could run the province as a foreign territory.

Context and claims cited

The claims cited by Amachreeabout the $61 billion figure, the Southern Africa Relief Fund donations and the description of the “Mandela tax”were attributed by him to the SA Institute of International Affairs and to contemporaneous accounts of popular contributions in Nigeria.

This article summarises the views and proposals made in Kio Amachree’s public posts.