African leaders have been urged to move quickly to halt the rising tide of prejudice and xenophobia that threaten to undermine regional integration efforts on the continent. Veteran international journalist and eminent pan-Africanist, Ben Asante made the call recently at an interaction with the media in Accra to mark his 75th anniversary. Asante, whose career spans over five decades of unwavering dedication to African unity and development, made a passionate call on continental leaders to individually and collectively confront these biases head-on, warning that xenophobia and prejudice not only fuels conflict but also impedes economic progress and regional integration efforts.
Asante’s call comes against the backdrop of the recent Miss South Africa beauty pageant, and its implications for African unity. Ms Adetshina was a finalist in this year’s Miss South Africa but pulled out after she found herself the target of a xenophobic backlash. Despite being a South African citizen, South Africans questioned her eligibility because her father is Nigerian and her mother has Mozambican roots.
The situation threatened to degenerate after South Africa’s Home Affairs department investigated her at the behest of the Miss South Africa organisers and said Ms Adetshina’s mother may have committed “identity fraud” to get South African nationality. Thereafter, Ms Adetshina made the “difficult decision” to leave the competition for her family’s safety and well-being. Asante la.