South African President Reacts To Xenophobic Attack On Nigerians
President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa on Tuesday condemned the recent xenophobic attack on Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the country, Naijaparry report.
Ramaphosa, in a tweet on his official Twitter page, said there is no justification for the attack on foreign nationals while reacting to the looting and burning of businesses and property belonging to foreigners in South Africa which began on Sunday.
He said, ”I condemn the violence that has been spreading around a number of our provinces in the strongest terms. I’m convening the ministers in the security cluster today to make sure that we keep a close eye on these acts of wanton violence and find ways of stopping them.
”The people of our country want to live in harmony; whatever concerns or grievances we may have, we need to handle them in a democratic way.
”There can be no justification for any South African to attack people from other countries,”he added
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed “deep concern,” over the attacks on Nigerian citizens and property in South Africa
A statement by Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said Buhari has despatched special envoy to his South African counterpart, President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“The Special Envoy is expected to arrive in Pretoria latest Thursday, September 5, 2019.
Naijaparry reports that the attacks on Nigerians are part of wider xenophobic attacks on foreigners in the rainbow nation.
South Africans had on Sunday begun fresh attacks, looting and burning of businesses and properties belonging to foreigners and in the process killed three people, while another is still receiving treatment for smoke inhalation.
The attack which was second of it within a week began on Sunday morning in Jeppestown area of Johannesburg when a building was set on fire by angry mobs.
Later on Sunday evening, some group of violent locals suspected to be Zulu hostel dwellers attacked Jules street in Malvern, Johannesburg, looting and burning shops.
Similar violence had occurred on August 28 in Pretoria Business District as indigenes angered by the death of a taxi operator apparently thought to be killed by a Nigerian went on the rampage.
The said driver was, however, allegedly killed by a Tanzanian which sparked the violence that resorted to the looting of shops owned by Nigerians and some other foreigners in that country.
This online news medium reports that the government of South Africa had threatened a crackdown but has so far been unable to prevent acts of violence.
On August 28, President Muhammadu Buhari and his South African Counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa met on the sidelines of a Summit in Japan and both leaders agreed to meet in October.
This latest development indicates xenophobia will be top of the agenda when both leaders meet.