ANC still mum on protests in Nigeria

With at least 15 people killed and scores injured in army shootings in Nigeria, South African political parties, except the Economic Freedom Fighters, ignored the incident as they carried on with their debate on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Economic Recovery Plan in Parliament on Wednesday.

While Nigerian authorities said the death toll was far less, Amnesty International said at least 15 were killed during the End SARS (police) protests.

However, the ANC has been silent about the situation, with no statement issued by the Presidency. The main opposition Democratic Alliance was also mum on the situation.

The EFF sounded a clear warning to the Abuja government of President Muhammadu Buhari to desist from human rights abuses, arrests, detention and torture of protesters.  The party warned the Buhari regime to learn from the popular people’s revolutions that occurred in Romania, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Sudan, among others

EFF national spokesperson Vuyani Pambo called on the South African government, the African Union and the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) to send strong messages of protest to the Buhari administration about the killings.

“No amount of military power has conquered a resolve of masses in a popular struggle. One death is too many, we call on the government of Buhari to exercise restraint and reign on its army and security services ,” said Pambo.

Nigerian nationals in South Africa staged protest marches in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town and called for an end to police brutality in Nigeria.

In Pretoria, they marched to the Nigerian Embassy and to Parliament in Cape Town. Members of the SA Police Service monitored the protests and there were no reports of violence.

Pambo described the protests as “cogent revolutionary struggle” against corruption, maladministration and bad governance that had characterised Nigeria since independence.

He said the indecisiveness of the successive government to root out corruption and maladministration had heightened tribalistic and religious tensions among the Nigerian populace leading to the emergence of rogue terrorist formations.

“No amount of military power has conquered a resolve of masses in a popular struggle. Weapons of war are strictly reserved for armed insurrections and terrorist forces bludgeoning civilians in the north and not for protestors in a democratic state,” Pambo said.

The EFF voiced its support for the Nigeria’s “young lions” from the “tyrannical regime of the recycled old military guard” in their country.

ericn@citizen.co.za

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