Onyeama slams SA minister for 'fueling xenophobia'

Minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama has slammed South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor over her comment about Nigerians in the country.

On Thursday, September 5, 2019, Pandor in an interview with eNCA, a South African news platform said, many Nigerians in the country are involved in drug and human trafficking.

Asked if the South African security agencies helped in protecting foreigners during the attack, Pandor said, “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.”

Reacting to Pandor’s claim via his Twitter handle, Onyeama described the minister’s statement as outrageous.

He said, “It is precisely this kind of outrageous stigmatization of a people from senior government officials that fuel xenophobia and embolden criminals.”

You’ll recall that due to the attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, the Federal Government of Nigeria on Wednesday, September 4, 2019, withdrew its participation from the ongoing World Economic Forum holding in the country.

Nigeria has also recalled it Ambassador to South Africa, Ambassador Kabiru Bala, in protest of xenophobic attacks on its nationals in South Africa.