President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa on Monday apologised to Nigeria over the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in his country.
South African special envoy to Nigeria, Jeff Radebe, tendered the apology on behalf of the government and people of the country to President Muhammadu Buhari at the state house in Abuja.
According to a statement by presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, Radebe apologised on behalf of his president for what he called “acts of criminality and violence” that recently occurred.
The envoy also stated that the attacks did not represent South Africa’s value system, nor those of the larger number of South Africans, noting that South Africa was an integral part of Africa, and fully committed to peace and integration of the continent.
He added that South Africa remains eternally grateful for the role Nigeria played in ending apartheid, and hoped that the coming visit of the Nigerian President would solidify the relationship between the two countries once again.
The special envoy disclosed that 10 people died during the attacks – two Zimbabweans and eight South Africans.
Adesina, also stated that President Buhari went down memory lane, and recalled the role played by Nigeria in the fight against apartheid in South Africa.
Buhari was quoted to have said, “Going back to historical antecedents, we made great sacrifices for South Africa to become a free state. I was a junior officer to Gen. Murtala Muhammad, and Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo. They were not operating in a democracy, but they got Nigerians to support them in the bid to see a free South Africa.”
“Our leadership was quite committed to the cause. We made sacrifices, which younger people of today may not know. During my last visit to South Africa with the late President Robert Mugabe, it was very emotional, as Mugabe spoke about Nigeria’s contribution to free South Africa.”
According to Adesina, President Buhari thanked Ramaphosa, through the special envoy, “for coming to explain to us what happened in South Africa recently, leading to killing and displacement of foreigners”.
It will be recalled that South African president Cyril Ramaphosa who was booed last Saturday in Zimbabwe at the funeral of the late Robert Mugabe over the weekend dispatched three envoys to seven African countries, including Nigeria, to deliver messages of pan-African unity.
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