South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, on Wednesday in Yokohama, Japan, expressed regrets over Xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in that country, saying he is upset at the actions of his countrymen.
The killing of Nigerians in South Africa had recently provoked reactions from Nigerian students leading to an ultimatum to South African business interests in Nigeria, especially MTN , to quit the country in two weeks.
But Ramaphosa, while fielding questions from journalists after holding a bilateral talk with President Muhammadu Buhari on the sidelines of the ongoing seventh Tokyo International Conference for Africa Development (TICAD7) in Yokohama, said his “government was very upset about the protracted killings of Nigerians in South Africa”
He disclosed that the trend had necessitated the call for a meeting of the leaders of both countries on how to promptly nip the matter in the bud.
Nigerians in South Africa have over the years become victims of xenophobic killings by citizens of their host country who often unjustifiably accuse them of robbing them of job opportunities in their own country.
The protracted killings prompted some Nigerian students to recently stage a range of protests in the corporate offices of South African companies in Nigeria, threatening to shut them down if the killings of their fellow citizens in South Africa do not stop.
The South African President said his country’s justice system had already taken up the matter, pointing out that he was not in support of the killings, and insisted that there was no justifiable reason for anybody to be killed.
He described the meeting he had with Buhari as a good forum for South Africa and Nigeria to renew the bond of unity between them and simultaneously share together issues of common interest in the overall interest of the African continent.
“Well, no, no, we are going to be discussing all that because we have very good relations. We ‘ll talk about the issue of Nigerians who are dying in South Africa.
“We feel very upset about that.
“Obviously, our criminal justice system is working on it. We don’t support killings. Nobody should ever be killed, but it’s also good to use this opportunity here in Japan to renew the bond between us, to talk about common things between South Africa and Nigeria. We know we have to play key roles in the overall development of the continent,” Ramaphosa said
Tony Ailemen, Abuja.
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