Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, Apartheid History, And The Dangerous Politics Of Forgetting Africa's Sacrifices When Historical Memory Becomes A Political Battleground

Apartheid did not fall through South African resistance alone. From Ghana and Nigeria to Mozambique, countless Africans sacrificed for freedom. When history is forgotten or rewritten, division thrives. The truth remains: South Africa's liberation was a victory shared by an entire continent.

Recent remarks attributed to South African activist and politician Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma have triggered intense debate across the continent. Critics argue that some of her comments appear to minimize the role played by African countries and the wider international community in supporting South Africa's liberation struggle.

The controversy raises a fundamental question: Can any nation honestly claim that apartheid was defeated solely through its own internal strength?

History suggests otherwise.
Who Is Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma?
Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma is a South African political activist and leader associated with anti-illegal immigration campaigns. She has become one of the most visible figures in contemporary debates surrounding immigration, nationalism, and identity in South Africa. Her activism has attracted both strong support and fierce criticism.

In recent months, she has faced criticism over comments perceived as tribalist or anti-immigrant, and her campaigns have sparked accusations of promoting xenophobic sentiments, allegations she has denied.

However, the real issue extends beyond one individual. It concerns historical truth itself.

Did African Countries Help South Africa During Apartheid?

The answer is unequivocally yes.
Any serious study of apartheid history shows that South Africa's liberation was supported by countless Africans and governments across the continent.

Ghana's Contribution
Under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah and successive governments, Ghana became one of the strongest African voices against apartheid.

Ghana offered educational opportunities to South African exiles and students, provided diplomatic support to liberation movements, and consistently advocated for sanctions against the apartheid regime in international forums.

Many South Africans who later became influential figures in the liberation struggle benefited from educational and political opportunities provided by African countries, including Ghana.

Nigeria's Contribution
Nigeria was one of the largest financial supporters of anti-apartheid efforts.

The country established various support mechanisms and solidarity funds that mobilized resources for South African liberation movements. Millions of Nigerians contributed directly and indirectly to anti-apartheid campaigns.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Nigeria became one of apartheid South Africa's fiercest diplomatic opponents and a major financial supporter of liberation efforts.

Mozambique's Contribution
The independence of Mozambique in 1975 fundamentally changed the regional struggle.

Mozambique provided sanctuary, logistical support, and operational space for members of the African National Congress and other anti-apartheid organizations.

Because of this support, Mozambique itself became a target of destabilization campaigns by the apartheid regime.

Many Mozambicans paid with their lives for supporting South Africa's freedom struggle.

Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, Zimbabwe and Others

The list does not end there.
Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, and Zimbabwe hosted exiles, training camps, political offices, and diplomatic operations.

Thousands of Africans who were not South African accepted enormous risks because they believed apartheid was a crime against humanity.

Did South Africans Also Fight for Their Own Freedom?

Absolutely.
It would be equally wrong to suggest that liberation was handed to South Africans by outsiders.

The courage of millions of ordinary South Africans was the central force behind apartheid's collapse.

The sacrifices of activists, trade unionists, students, religious leaders, and liberation fighters cannot be overstated.

Figures such as Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, and countless unnamed heroes paid extraordinary prices.

The truth is not that South Africans won alone.

The truth is that South Africans led the struggle while receiving solidarity and support from Africa and the world.

Both realities are true simultaneously.
Are Some Modern Anti-Immigrant Narratives Based on Historical Misunderstandings?

This is where the debate becomes sensitive.

Many scholars argue that rising anti-immigrant sentiment in South Africa is driven primarily by economic frustration, unemployment, inequality, crime, and failures of governance rather than historical understanding alone.

However, historical revisionism can reinforce those sentiments.

If people are taught that no one helped South Africa during apartheid, they may become less appreciative of the sacrifices made by neighboring countries.

That can weaken the spirit of African solidarity that was central to the liberation struggle.

South Africa's own Justice Minister recently warned that xenophobic violence is damaging the country's reputation and undermining African unity.

What Is Julius Malema Saying?
Julius Malema has consistently argued for Pan-African solidarity while simultaneously criticizing government immigration policies.

Although Malema's positions often generate controversy, he has generally opposed xenophobic violence and has repeatedly emphasized African unity.

His broader message has been that Africans should not become enemies of one another while larger structural problems remain unresolved.

What Is the South African Government Saying?

The South African government has repeatedly stated that xenophobia is not official policy.

Former Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma publicly condemned xenophobic attacks and emphasized that legal immigrants have rights that must be protected while immigration laws should be enforced through legal channels.

Government officials have likewise warned against vigilante actions targeting foreign nationals.

What Are Other Africans Saying?
Many Africans outside South Africa express a mixture of disappointment, frustration, and sadness.

Their argument is simple:
"When South Africans needed support, Africa stood with them."

Many therefore find it painful when historical contributions made by countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia, and Tanzania appear to be dismissed or forgotten.

Others argue that ordinary South Africans should not be blamed for the statements of individual activists and that the overwhelming majority of South Africans still value African solidarity.

Can History Be Changed?
History can be distorted.
History can be forgotten.
History can be selectively interpreted.
But documented history cannot truly be changed.

Archives exist.
Government records exist.
Liberation movement records exist.
The testimonies of millions of Africans still exist.

The role played by African countries in defeating apartheid is not a matter of opinion. It is a matter of historical record.

Final Reflection
The liberation of South Africa was one of the greatest collective achievements in African history.

South Africans fought bravely.
African nations sacrificed generously.
International activists applied pressure globally.

No single country can claim exclusive ownership of that victory.

The end of apartheid was not merely a South African triumph.

It was an African triumph.
And perhaps the greatest danger today is not disagreement over immigration policy.

It is forgetting how much Africans once sacrificed for one another.

By:
Patrick Belebang Yagsori
+233240292413
[email protected]