Xenophobia dashes Namibian business delegation’s trip to South Africa

The Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) has cancelled a week-long trip to South Africa due to xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals in that country, chief executive Tarah Shaanika said in a statement on Wednesday.

NCCI planned to take a business exploratory operation in May 2015 that included the South Africa-Namibia Business Forum meetings in Johannesburg, East London and Durban to explore opportunities for Namibian businesses in South Africa.

The mission also seeks to push for increased investments by South African companies in key sectors of manufacturing, tourism and logistics here, but Shaanika said the ongoing xenophobic attacks in that country make the business mission impossible.

Therefore the visit has been put on hold until, “we are assured that the South African Government is in full control of its unruly citizens”.


“We cannot continue organizing a business mission to South Africa while South Africans are telling us that they do not want to do business with foreigners. Those from a number of African countries who went to legally set up businesses in South Africa, have been killed in cold blood during the past week and we cannot tolerate that situation,” Shaanika said.

“We are not impressed with the manner and speed at which the South African Government has been dealing with such barbaric acts committed by their unruly citizens. What happened is an embarrassment to Africa, especially because it is not the first time that South Africans attack foreigners living in their country”.