TheCable

Cyril Ramaphosa, president of South Africa, has dispatched three envoys to seven African countries, including Nigeria, to deliver messages of pan-African unity.

This is after he was booed in Zimbabwe on Saturday at Robert Mugabe’s funeral while addressing mourners.

He, however, apologised to the crowd saying the attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa was against the principles of the unity of the African people.

Apart from Nigeria, the envoys are also scheduled to visit Niger, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.

Khusela Diko, a presidential spokesperson, said on Sunday that the special envoys will deliver a message from Ramaphosa regarding the incidents of violence that recently erupted in some parts of South Africa, which have manifested in attacks on foreign nationals and destruction of property.

Diko said the envoys will reassure fellow African countries that South Africa is committed to the ideals of pan-African unity and solidarity.

He added that they will also brief governments in the identified African countries about the steps that the South African government is taking to bring a stop to the attacks and hold the perpetrators to account.

The recent xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals had sparked criticism against the South African government across the continent.

Nigeria had boycotted the recent World Economic Summit that held in Cape Town, following the attacks on Nigerians.

The president had also ordered the immediate evacuation of Nigerians willing to leave the country after receiving the report of a special envoy sent to evaluate the attacks on Nigerians living in South Africa.

Of the 640 Nigerians that have indicated interest to return home, 187 have been airlifted by Air Peace and arrived the country on Wednesday.