SA minister: Many Nigerians in our country are drug traffickers
Naledi Pandor, South African minister of foreign affairs, says there are many Nigerians in the country involved in drug and human trafficking.
Pandor said this on Thursday while responding to criticisms that South Africa’s security agencies are not doing enough to protect foreigners in the wave of xenophobia rocking the country.
Many Nigerians based in South Africa lost properties worth millions of dollars in the fresh attacks.
But in an interview with eNCA, a South African outfit, Pandor said South Africans believe many Nigerians are “harming our young people.”
Asked if the country’s security agencies have helped in protecting foreigners including Nigerians, she responded: “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.”
The xenophobic attacks forced Nigeria to pull out of the ongoing World Economic Forum in South Africa.
In its initial response to the fresh attacks, the federal government summoned Bobby Monroe, South Africa’s high commissioner to Nigeria.
President Muhammadu Buhari also dispatched a special envoy to convey his concerns over the attacks to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Nigeria demanded full compensation for its citizens affected in the latest attacks, but Pandor had earlier said there is no provision for such.
You madam what have you done about corruption in the police and indeed the government coz your police officers are working with these so called drug dealers and your police are doing armed robbery and murdering young girls right under your nose. But you are quick to put a blame on foreigners those are excuses of a failed government playing a blame game coz u have failed your people, failed to deliver your political promises now foreigners have to be your scape goat. When the foreigners leave those murders and armed robberies wont stop coz we know who is responsible for that burying your head in the sand and blaming foreigners wont fix you problems.