By Jibrin Baba Ndace
Abuja
South Africa has assured Nigeria that it was mobilising efforts to ensure the safety of Nigerians and other foreigners who are currently under xenophobic attack from their citizens.
The High Commissioner of South African to Nigeria, Ambassador Lulu Mnguni, in a statement yesterday said the situation was being contained and “would soon be brought under control.”
He said President Jacob Zuma had deployed the Ministers of Home Affairs, Police and State Security to work with the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Provincial Government to stop the violence that has broken out in some Durban residential areas.
He said: “The KZN Provincial Government has established an Inter-Departmental Task Team to coordinate the response; The Minister of Home Affairs met with African Heads of Missions last week and the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation took the discussions forward as well in her engagements with the African Heads of Missions on 17 of April.
“Members of Parliament are also working with Government, in their constituencies, to improve relations and promote peaceful co-existence between our people and fellow Africans affected by the situation.”
Mnguni added that the South African government was working closely with the UNHCR, UNICEF as well as non-governmental organisations, religious leaders and other stakeholders to providing humanitarian assistance, food, psycho-social and other support to the displaced people.
He revealed that shelters had been set-up to accommodate displaced foreign nationals and basic amenities such as water, sanitation, and healthcare are being provided.
The High Commissioner said the government was “determined to take resolute action against South Africans who attack foreign nationals, and is equally determined to take action against all foreign nationals who commit crime in the country.”
“We also want to appeal to the Nigerians and our South African people not to allow their hard won and time tested friendship to be lost as a result of these heinous criminal acts. Let us stand together to defend the interests of our two peoples and our continent. We are one people and together victory is certain.”