South African official accuses Nigeria of overreacting to xenophobic attacks

Clayson Monyela, spokesman of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) in South Africa, says Nigeria overreacted to the recent xenophobic attack in the country.

Businesses of Nigerians based in South Africa were targetted in the attacks which made the federal government summon Bobby Moroe, South Africa’s high commissioner to Nigeria.

Nigeria also pulled out of the World Economic Forum which held in South Africa while President Muhammadu Buhari sent Ahmed Abubakar, director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), to convey his feelings to President Cyril Ramaphosa over the incident.

There were reprisal attacks across Nigeria, leading to MTN shutting down its offices nationwide. Some Shoprites stores were also looted while South African mission in Nigeria suspended operations.

But Monyela said despite the fact that not a single Nigerian was killed in the incident, the country was the “most vocal”.

According to City Press, a South African platform, Monyela said the Nigerian special envoy left South Africa having “understood the overreaction by their country” over the xenophobic attacks.

“Ten out of the 12 people killed during the public violence are South Africans and two Zimbabweans. They were told ‘not a single Nigerian was killed yet your country is the most vocal’,” Monyela was quoted to have said.

– The Cable