Xenophobic attacks: Timi Frank writes South African President, calls AU to intervene

A political activist and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has called on the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, to urgently halt attacks against Nigerians and the wanton destruction of their property by rampaging citizens of that country.

Frank, in a statement in Abuja, also disclosed that he already had discussions with one of the leaders of opposition political parties in South Africa, Julius Malema, over the imbroglio and said that he would soon visit him to strategize on how to permanently end the hate induced violence against Nigerians in South Africa.

While demanding an immediate stop to the bloodletting against innocent Nigerians, he called on the South African Government to commence the payment of adequate and commensurate compensation to the victims of the dastardly and unprovoked acts of aggression without delay.

“On behalf of Nigerians, we plead with the South African government, its youths and the entire citizens to put a stop to the wanton killing of Nigerians and destruction of their property by irate South Africans and instead fashion out ways on how Nigerians and other African countries resident in your country can live together in peace and harmony.

“May we also remind our South African brothers and sisters that Africa is one indivisible continent and that most African countries, especially in West Africa and Nigeria in particular, helped South Africa to fight their subjugation under apartheid by generously supporting them financially, materially and otherwise until they attained the abolishment of racial segregation.

“We urge South African youths to emulate the late icon, Nelson Mandela, who was always for peace and even forgave those that imprisoned him for 27 years,” he said.

Frank urged the South African authorities to urgently evolve both legal and policy instruments to permanently stop the acts of belligerence and open aggression against Nigerians.

He also called on the leadership of the African Union (AU) to intervene and prevent needless hostilities between Nigeria and South Africa which may come up if the prolonged attacks against Nigerians and their interests in the former apartheid enclave is not urgently halted.

“The AU must prove its relevance by acting swiftly. They cannot afford to obfuscate by mouthing words while shying away from addressing the pogrom and genocide against innocent Nigerians legally residing in South Africa at this time,” he said.

He pleaded with Nigerians back home to exercise restraint in the face of this grievous acts of provocation emanating from South Africa.

“If the South Africans are exhibiting madness, we must maintain our sanity by not attacking businesses owned by Nigerians here but operating under franchises owned by South Africans.