Tutu, SAHRC urged to intervene to stop attacks on Nigerians
The Human Rights Commission says communities should refrain from taking the law into their own hands to become criminals themselves.
FILE PICTURE: A man runs holding a Nigerian flag as thousands marched against xenophobic attacks in South Africa AFP PHOTO/GIANLUIGI GUERCIA
An ultimatum issued to South Africans in Nigeria – leave within 48 hours or die – expired on Tuesday.
But the demonstrators in Abuja had simmered down by then and were calling on the governments of South Africa and Nigeria to end the bloody spats in both countries.
South African high commissioner Lulu Mnguni said the nonviolent protests came after the National Association of Nigerian Students issued the deadly ultimatum to South Africans.
“There are lots of demonstrations in town, but they are not violent, they are peaceful demonstrations.
“They are demanding our government and their government talk and bring an end to the violence on their people.
“They have not come to our offices or any of our South African company offices.”
He said security had been beefed up to protect South Africans in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Chief Andrew Elijah of Ijaw Monitoring Group in Nigeria pleaded with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the South African Human Rights Commission to intervene to stop attacks on Nigerians in SA.
Elijah said they had lost faith in the South African government as those who had perpetuated crime against foreigners had not been prosecuted.
Tutu’s spokesperson, Roger Friedman, said: “The Archbishop is obviously deeply concerned about relationships between South Africans and foreign nationals, but we regret that he has retired from public life and is no longer participating in public discourse.”
SAHRC spokesperson Gushwell Brooks said communities should refrain from taking the law into their own hands and committing acts of criminality.
Brooks added: “The commission believes that the spirit that informs South Africa’s constitution and subsequently its Bill of Rights therein, is based on the acceptance of our diversity of a society despite race, ethnicity, birth, origin and numerous other social groups, as set out in Section 9 of the constitution.
“The commission thus encourages the civic movements that organised the marches to educate themselves around these rights in the Bill of Rights and the commission reiterates that it can avail its limited resources to engage with communities on this.
“Further, we appeal to communities to address their legitimate concerns through appropriate forums.”
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