Bart Henderson is a leading forensic auditor and CEO of Henderson Solutions, an enterprise risk management firm.

According to recent media reports, South Africa and Nigeria “stepped back from the brink, as relations between the continent’s two emerging and rival superpowers threatened to hit new lows, amid a furious diplomatic row and tit-for-tat deportations”.

Pretoria subsequently apologised unreservedly to Nigeria for having deported 125 Nigerians recently. They had landed at OR Tambo International Airport with yellow-fever certifi cates that local officials suspected to be bogus.

Abuja retaliated by sending back 78 South Africans this week, mainly business travellers. Not for any reason but to retaliate.

The fact that the yellow-fever certificates may have been fraudulent has not been answered and doesn’t feature.

Exports to Nigeria grew from R185 million in 1999 to almost R11 billion in 2007. South African companies such as MTN, Standard Bank and Shoprite have a strong presence there.

Two weeks ago, South Africa’s deputy international relations minister, Ebrahim Ebrahim, apologised to Nigeria at a specially convened press conference, in the presence of Nigerian diplomats, who declined to comment.

“It is a regrettable incident and we wish to humbly apologise,” Ebrahim is reported to have told journalists.

Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The World Health Organisation estimates that yellow fever causes 200 000 illnesses and 30 000 deaths every year in unvaccinated populations; around 90% of the infections occur in Africa.

Since the 1980s, the number of cases of yellow fever has been increasing, making it a re-emerging disease.

In 15% of cases, sufferers enter a second, toxic phase of the disease with recurring fever, this time accompanied by jaundice, due to liver damage, as well as abdominal pain. Bleeding in the mouth, the eyes and in the gastrointestinal tract will cause vomitus containing blood (given the name black vomit).

It seems to me then that in the event the yellow-fever certificates were bogus, the officials who refused the Nigerians entry should be applauded. Forged yellow fever vaccination certificates are easy to buy from hawkers at Lagos airport.

I can tell this deputy minister that his humiliating apology has contributed to officials at points of entry, those few that do actually do their job, turning a blind eye in future.

Nigerian foreign minister Olugbenga Ashiru told a hearing at the National Assembly late recently: “South Africans will know we are very serious with this matter and that any deportation of any Nigerian we will met it with equal reciprocal measure.

“What you see playing out is… xenophobia by South Africans against all Africans, not just Nigerians, including even those from their neighbouring countries,” he said.

Ok, so run this by me – South Africa has suffered a staggering outflow of about R185 billion in illegal money since 1994, due to corruption in the private and public sector. That’s according to a report by a non-profit research group in Washington, Global Financial Integrity, which monitors cross-border flows of illicit cash around the world.

Devon Cartwright-Smith, one of the authors of the report, said the figures were based on “plain view” statistics from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

The Open Democracy Advice Centre’s executive director, Alison Tilley, is reported as saying “corruption and fraud costs South Africans in excess of R100 billion each year. It is eating at the very fabric of our society”.

Nigeria ranks among the most corrupt countries in the world and, while we hang on tooth and nail to maintain some vestige of integrity, we are dictated to by a country and a people who have imported levels of crime and corruption to our shores that boggle the mind.

The United Nations Country Report on Drugs and Crime has reported that “South Africa has unfortunately become part of major international drug trafficking networks often organised by West Africans – principally Nigerian – criminal groups, which since the late 1990s have established permanent operational bases in Southern Africa”.

Almost 100% of all online frauds reported through our hotline turn out to be advance fee frauds operated by Nigerians in South Africa.

A vast number of e-mails soliciting advance payments are operated by Nigerians with South African bank accounts, just ask their risk managers.

If anyone bothers to read any study by any respected body, Nigerians are causing havoc in our country in the areas of fraud, corruption, drug trafficking and prostitution.

I have had the benefit of training anti-corruption experts from that country for over eight years and have met dozens of Nigerians committed to open, fair, clean and democratic Government.

I have also encountered thousands who are not.

Foreign Minister Olugbenga Ashiru, I have news for you china, if we started deporting Nigerians, the benefits would outweigh the costs by a country mile.

Call me what you want. You will still be the foreign minister of one of the most corrupt nations on earth.

As for our own deputy minister – grow some balls.