President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has blamed the killing of Nigerians in his country on sheer criminality.
According to him, the attacks could not have been as a result of hatred on the part of the people of the country against Nigerians.
His words: “I want to say it here right now that South Africans do not have any form of negative disposition or hatred toward Nigerians and the main, Nigerians and South Africans in a number of places of our country live side by side.
“They cooperate very well and some are in the corporate structures of our various countries and some are traders and some do a whole number of things.
“So I want to dispel this notion that when a Nigerian loses his or her live in South Africa it is as a result of an intentional sort of action by South Africans against Nigerians. That is simply not true.”
He however said that the government was making efforts to stem the tide.
Ramaphosa who spoke with State House correspondents shortly after meeting Buhari said anyone caught attacking others would be dealt with accordingly.
He said anyone in South Africa was considered to be part of the people of the country and would be accorded the necessary respect and honour.
The South African president stated further on the killing of Nigerians: “These are acts of criminality. When we were involved in our struggle we said the South Africa that we are fighting for is the South Africa which will regard everyone who lives in South Africa on the basis of equality, respect for human rights.
“And we said that South Africa belongs to all the people who live in it; so the Nigerians who are in South Africa are also part of our community.
“They can never be targeted on intentional basis as people who must either be attacked or killed.
“When that happens I would like us to see that as acts of criminality which in the main affects many South Africans in various parts of our country.
“So see it in that regard and I would like that you should never think that it is being done against Nigerians intentionally.
“It is an act of criminality and our government is determined to bring down the levels of criminality and also to go after those who perpetrate these acts of criminality so that anyone who attacks any person in South Africa will be pursued with the might of the law to make sure that they are brought to justice and to book.’’
