The Foreign Affairs Minister in South Africa, Naledi Pandor, has added more insult to the Nigerian situation when she accused Nigerians of dealing on drugs, human trafficking and engaging in other criminal activities in their country.
In an interview with ‘eNCA’, a South African news website, Pandor said the reason South Africans attack Nigerians is because many of them are criminals who are bent on destroying their country.
Responding to President Muhammadu Buhari’s plea for help in tackling different criminalities in the country, Pandor said that Nigeria needs to help address the belief that its countrymen are involved in criminal activities.
“I would appreciate them in helping us as well to address the belief our people have and the reality that there are many persons from Nigeria dealing in drugs in our country. I believe that Nigerian nationals are involved in human trafficking and other abusive practices.
These kind of assistance of ensuring that such persons do not come to our country will be of great assistance to our nation.”
The Minister said their government was aware of a resentment-driven ‘Afrophobia’ and was working to restore calm.
It is on record that South Africans have been accused of killing foreigners in their country but the recent xenophobic attacks that triggered so much tension was the attack on foreigners which resulted to the death of three persons.
Reports equally have it that houses owned by some Nigerians and business shops were burnt down.
The attacks, looting and burning of businesses allegedly owned by Nigerians in South Africa had, on Wednesday morning, sparked off protests in some Nigerian cities as some irate youths stormed Shoprite malls in Abuja, Lagos, Enugu others to protest the attack on Nigerians in South Africa.
Watch a video of Pandor here:
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