The turn of violence influenced revenge in Abuja Nigeria where violent protesters targeted facilities owned by South African telecom firm, MTN, according to This Day newspaper, because most of the destroyed property of foreigners in Pretoria was owned by Nigerians. If unchecked, these xenophobic attacks could soon engulf Pretoria and spread to other parts of South Africa, as they have in the past.
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“We held a very fruitful meeting in Johannesburg with Mr Gigaba where he assured us that they are not supportive of the xenophobic trends now unfolding in Gauteng Province”, he said.
South African police officers detained a Nigerian during a face-off with a group of South Africans in the centre of Pretoria yesterday. The truth is that South Africa’s post-apartheid society is rife with economic and social problems, including a very high rate of unemployment.
“We presented a petition in which we want them to call their people to order”.
A group representing Nigerians in South Africa has condemned what it has described as misperceptions about its members.
The students, led by their president, Mr Aruna Kadiri, while addressing newsmen at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja, urged the government to take concrete action to protect Nigerians in South Africa.
“I think the time has come for African people to unite around this and at least not to also violently attack their properties in our country and not to violently attack their citizens in our country but to boycott their products“.
President Zuma appealed to political leaders to refrain from making reckless and irresponsible statements that have the potential of fuelling tensions between South Africans and foreign-nationals.
“Let us isolate those who commit such crimes and work with government to have them arrested, without stereotyping and causing harm to innocent people”.
The United Nations put the number of foreign migrants living in South Africa at 3.1 million in 2015.
Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has warned South Africans against further attacks on Nigerians.
“We caution those engaging in violence that law enforcement will not hesitate to act”. “I am not privy to the figures from the Nigerian government and how they collected them”. People say we foreigners are here to sell drugs?
No Zimbabwean was killed or injured in xenophobic skirmishes that occurred in South Africa over the last fortnight, Harare’s chief diplomat in Pretoria, Ambassador Isaac Moyo, has said. We believe dialogue and public orientation in South Africa will help enlighten their people on the need to see Nigeria as a partner in progress. Two wrongs do not make a right.
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Some residents have claimed that Nigerian-owned businesses are fronts for drug dealers and prostitution.
