“Gayton McKenzie’s ‘Abahambe’ Doctrine: The Rise of a 21st Century Hitler in Africa”
By George Omagbemi Sylvester

In an era when the world is striving toward global integration, mutual respect, and cross-cultural harmony, South Africa has produced a political figure whose rhetoric reeks of an ideology that should have died with Nazi Germany. Gayton McKenzie, a South African politician and current Mayor of the Central Karoo District Municipality, has positioned himself as a mouthpiece for division, hatred, and toxic nationalism. His populist “Abahambe” campaign, loosely translating to “Let them leave” in Zulu; has targeted African migrants, particularly Nigerians and Zimbabweans, as scapegoats for South Africa’s socioeconomic woes. This dangerous doctrine echoes the genocidal propaganda of Adolf Hitler, whose hatred of Jews led to the Holocaust, a crime against humanity that the world vowed would never happen again.

And yet, here we are.

McKenzie’s rhetoric, laced with venom and political ambition, is more than just populist noise. It is a direct threat to the very foundation of Pan-African unity and black solidarity that was built on the blood and sacrifices of anti-apartheid revolutionaries, including Nigeria’s pivotal role in freeing South Africa from white minority rule. To tolerate his ideology is to insult the memory of the African National Congress’s struggle and betray the hopes of a united and prosperous continent.

The Nazi Blueprint: Political Gain Through Hatred
History teaches us that when politicians cannot deliver prosperity, they manufacture enemies. Adolf Hitler did it in 1930s Germany, blaming Jews for economic depression and the Treaty of Versailles. Gayton McKenzie is deploying the same playbook in 21st-century Africa. He redirects anger away from South Africa’s endemic corruption, failing infrastructure, and mass unemployment, and channels it toward vulnerable African migrants.

This is not merely xenophobia; it is fascism with a South African accent.

The “Abahambe” campaign bears disturbing similarities to Nazi Germany’s anti-Semitic policies. Hitler’s propaganda machine dehumanized Jews, portraying them as parasites and threats to German purity. McKenzie refers to African migrants as invaders, criminals, and job-stealers. His party, the Patriotic Alliance, thrives on fear and exclusion, whipping up mob sentiments that have already led to deadly violence. What started as political rhetoric has turned into burning homes, looted shops, and murdered Africans.

How long before the camps come?

Nigeria’s Role in Ending Apartheid: A Debt South Africa Must Not Forget
It is both ironic and shameful that Nigerians are the prime targets of McKenzie’s campaign. Nigeria, perhaps more than any other African country, was instrumental in dismantling apartheid. Between 1960 and 1994, Nigeria spent over $61 billion (in today’s value) supporting the anti-apartheid struggle — funding the ANC, hosting exiles, training freedom fighters, and sacrificing trade relations with Western countries to uphold sanctions against the apartheid regime.

Nigerian students paid the “Mandela Tax” a levy deducted from their wages and tuition to fund South Africa’s liberation. Nigerian diplomats fought tirelessly at the United Nations to isolate the apartheid regime. The country led the campaign to suspend South Africa from the Commonwealth and boycotted international sporting events in solidarity. This legacy is etched in the moral consciousness of Africa and cannot be erased by the vulgarity of one politician.

As Nelson Mandela once stated, “The struggle is my life. I will continue fighting for freedom until the end of my days.” That struggle was not fought alone. Nigeria stood *SHOULDER-TO-SHOULDER* with the ANC in those dark days. That must not be forgotten.

Economic Interdependence: Nigeria and South Africa Need Each Other
Beyond history, the present-day economic ties between Nigeria and South Africa are too significant to be endangered by political buffoonery. South African corporations operate freely in Nigeria, generating billions in revenue. MTN Nigeria alone accounts for over a third of MTN Group’s global profits. Shoprite, Multichoice (DSTV), Stanbic IBTC, and countless other South African enterprises have flourished in Nigeria’s open market, a market that welcomed them without prejudice or nationalist paranoia.

Can McKenzie explain how South Africans benefit from torching the shops and homes of Nigerians whose country has hosted their businesses with dignity?

Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, is not without options. Diplomatic retaliation, trade restrictions, and corporate boycotts would hurt South Africa more than Nigeria, especially given the fragile state of its post-pandemic economy. But Nigeria, under normal leadership, seeks diplomacy, not destruction. Unfortunately, if leaders like McKenzie continue fanning the flames of hatred, consequences, economic, political, and even security-based; will be inevitable.

As former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo once warned, “When we refuse to build bridges, we build graves instead.”

The Aftermath of Hatred: A Future Africa Cannot Afford
If McKenzie’s brand of politics is allowed to flourish, South Africa risks sliding into a pariah status within Africa; isolated, distrusted, and economically weakened. His hatred is not just directed at migrants, but at the very idea of African unity. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Pan-African Parliament, and African Union integration initiatives all depend on mutual trust. McKenzie’s divisive narrative undermines this vision and sets back the clock on decades of progress.

Moreover, the violence spurred by his rhetoric threatens domestic stability in South Africa. Xenophobic attacks invite retaliatory violence, as seen during past flare-ups. In 2019, reprisal attacks occurred in Lagos and Abuja, forcing South African businesses to temporarily shut down. A cycle of vengeance benefits no one.

More devastating, however, is the psychological damage. When black Africans turn on one another, the ghosts of colonialism win. They divided us then—by tribe, by language, by artificial borders; and now we do their bidding by fracturing ourselves.

Pan-Africanist Thomas Sankara once said, “You cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of madness. It takes the madman of yesterday for us to be able to act with extreme clarity today.” That clarity today demands a rejection of hatred, and a defense of African brotherhood.

Crimes Against Humanity: Holding McKenzie Accountable
The world cannot afford to ignore McKenzie’s rhetoric. Just as the United Nations and the International Criminal Court recognize apartheid, slavery, and racism as crimes against humanity, so too must systematic xenophobic incitement be treated with equal gravity. “Abahambe” is not a slogan. It is a call to ethnic cleansing. It is a crime in motion.

The African Union must rise beyond its impotence and condemn McKenzie in the strongest terms. Legal avenues should be pursued to classify his doctrine as hate speech and incitement to violence. South African civil society, religious leaders, intellectuals, and ordinary citizens must refuse to be accomplices through silence. Silence is complicity. And complicity is guilt.

The Way Forward: A Continental Reckoning
Africa’s youth from Lagos to Lusaka, from Johannesburg to Juba must reject the politics of hate and demand visionary leadership. Our future lies not in fences and firebombs but in knowledge, innovation, and trade. The continent’s prosperity depends on mobility, unity, and collaboration, not ghettos of fear and suspicion.

We need more Kwame Nkrumahs and fewer Gayton McKenzies.

As Nkrumah declared decades ago, “The forces that unite us are intrinsic and greater than the superimposed influences that keep us apart.”

We need leaders who build bridges, not walls; who echo unity, not ethnic cleansing; who see every African not as a foreigner, but as a brother.

Furthermore: Africa Must Choose
Gayton McKenzie is a test, a test of South Africa’s moral integrity and Africa’s collective will. If we allow this *HITLER-IN-THE-MAKING* to thrive, we will have learned nothing from Rwanda, from Sharpeville, from Auschwitz.

But if we confront him with truth, law, and unity, then perhaps Africa still has a chance at becoming what its founders dreamed, a bastion of freedom, dignity, and shared prosperity.

Let Gayton McKenzie be remembered, not as the man who divided Africa, but as the warning we heeded.

My plans for my people…. Professor Muhammad

Omolaja Professor Muhammad Omolaja is the president of the Yoruba Elders Union (YEU) which covers the entire Yoruba race in Nigeria and abroad. He is also a prominent member of the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) which is another socio-cultural association of Yoruba Leaders. Professor Omolaja’s socio-cultural engagements go beyond the Yoruba Land as his network cuts across the entire north and south of Nigeria and beyond. For instance, he is the Ike Mba 1 of Africa and one of the National Patrons of the Nzuka Nd’Imo Organisation (NNIO) worldwide among other connections.The professor in this exclusive interview explained in details his mission and vision for his constituency and beyond if he gets the nod under the platform of the Social Democratic party (SDP) as a prominent member of the Party.
Excerpts:

Humbly introduce yourself, Sir.

I am Prof. Muhammad Ayinla Omolaja (MAO) – The Ike Mba 1 of Africa – from the Obe Royal family of Emado Quarters, Ayetoro City, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

What’s that position you are virying for and under what party?

Actually, this question is immature as (a) INEC has not issued out guidelines on the 2027 general election, and (b) I have been aspiring and contesting consistently for various positions under various Parties from 2007 up to date. I came out for positions including Federal House of Representatives (under the PDP), Senate (under the ANPP and DPA), Governorship (under the APC), up to the Presidency (under the ADP) in 2023 general election. This means that definitely, I will come out again in 2027 by the special grace of the Almighty God. However, I am still consulting. The decision as to which position I will contest for will be a joint one with my political colleagues and associates when the time comes. I am presently a strong member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which means I will be contesting under the platform of the great Party.

Are you coming under consensus or you are solely voted for?

For now, there is no information on this.What are your chances going by the fact that it’s APC that is ruling?

Definitely, Nigerians, including me, have suffered more than enough hardship of various magnitudes under the APC and PDP administrations over the years! We are now wiser! What we need now is a complete change of guards in the political arena, and the only Party that can do that as at now is the Social Democratic Party being the only Party that is settled. Other Parties in opposition are presently faced with one crisis or the other ranging from factionalism, court cases, unnecessary rivalry, hatred and jealousy, to mention but a few. Therefore, anybody that will contest for a position under the SDP in 2027 has a very high probability of winning the election.

If eventually you emerged as the party’s candidate, do you see yourself winning the general election?

For a person to win a general election, irrespective of the post, he or she must be someone that is popular and acceptable to the majority of the people within his or her domain; that is, his constituency. This depends on many factors including his upbringing, family background, education background, community participation or contributions to the community, his political activism, leadership quality, and of course, his financial stability to mention but a few. In all these criteria, I think I am up to the task!

What’s your plan for your constituency?

My plan for the great people of my constituency may be summarized as “To let the masses live in all ramifications! This depends on the post I will contest for, but my mission in governance includes adequate food supply, uninterrupted power supply, adequate security of life and property, quality education, youths and women empowerment, good intergovernmental relations, appropriate civil service reforms, fiscal and monetary policies, adequate reforms in the traditional settings, industrialization, as well as taking care of the elderly; the old people in our communities, and so on.

Is there any team you put on ground that make you believe you can win the election?

Yes! There are many. One of them is the National Liberation Patriots (NLP) of which I am the founder and National Chairman. It has membership in all the 36 States of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. The national political group parades the best quality of politicians that can be found anywhere in the world as members based on their level of political exposure and activism. The second group is the Omolaja Solidarity Forum (OSF). The OSF also spreads to the entire Nigeria covering all the six geopolitical regions of the country. This is followed by the Coalition for Sustenance of Democracy (CSD) which is also a national political association. Again, I am one of the National Patrons of Nzuko Nd’Imo Organisation (NNIO) Worldwide apart from being the Ike Mba 1 of Africa. Finally, I am the President of the Yoruba Elders Union (YEU) which covers the entire Yoruba race in Nigeria and abroad! I am also a prominent member of the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE). With all these socio-cultural and political associations, and many more, on ground, I believe I can win election into any political office in Nigeria.

What is your message to the people concerning your ambition?

My message to the good people of our great nation is that the job of recovering, restoring and developing our much-cherished damaged country, Nigeria, is a task for all of us individually and collectively irrespective of our tribes or ethnicity, religions or our places of birth. We should forget about our differences in diversity and team up as one indivisible Nigerian family to recall our country back to life through the power of ballot papers during the forthcoming 2027 general election

Debegun Family Cries Out To Governor Dapo Abiodun As Notorious Landgrabber Lateef ‘Eleda’ Leads Violent Invasion in Shagamu

The Debegun family of Shagamu, Ogun State, is appealing to the highest authorities in Nigeria to intervene in a troubling situation that has left their community shaken and distressed. On April 12, 2025, the family was once again subjected to a violent invasion on their land by suspected ajagungbale—a local term for land grabbers who often use force and intimidation to seize land.

According to the family, this isn’t the first time they’re experiencing such terror. In what appears to be a coordinated attack, armed men reportedly stormed their town, shot at residents, and with the backing of some members of the police, whisked away community members to Abeokuta—placing them in the hands of the state’s land task force, allegedly led by one Mustapha Akeem.

The family’s plea is now directed to the Inspector General of Police, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Governor Dapo Abiodun, and the Attorney General of Ogun State, urging them to investigate and put a stop to what they describe as “systematic harassment” by these land-grabbing syndicates.

What makes this situation even more alarming is the eerie similarity to a previous incident last year. Members of the community were taken by force from an event, charged to court the next day without a chance to explain themselves, and ended up spending six months in custody before they could secure legal representation. The Debegun family fears a repeat of this injustice is already underway.

“This has become their mode of operation,” a family representative said. “Those picked up yesterday are already being prepped for court. No proper investigation, no fair hearing—just like last year. Meanwhile, some of our people who were shot during the attack are currently treating themselves with their own money. Where is the justice in that?”

The alleged ringleader of the invading group is one Ganiu Lateef, popularly known as Eleda—a man described as notorious and feared across Ikorodu and Shagamu. Others named in the group include Sunday Williams, Amisu Akinlawon, Sukanmi Kadiri, Abiodun Odunsi, and Seyi Fakoya (a.k.a. Were), with additional names still being verified.

The family says they are not just fighting for their land, but for their dignity and safety. “It’s now becoming difficult to understand the role of the police in all this,” the spokesperson continued. “Are they here to protect us, or to help these thugs strip us of our rights? We are calling for thorough investigations, accountability, and protection.”

This is a cry for help from citizens who feel abandoned in their own homeland at Konigbagbe Bus/stop, Shagamu, Ogijo Road. The Debegun family is hoping their voices reach those who have the power to act—before the situation escalates any further.