By Jennifer Y Omiloli
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, September 16, met the special envoy of President Cyril Ramaphosa at the State House, Abuja.
The meeting came about after the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians living in South Africa.
The special adviser of the president on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, in a statement issued on the evening of Monday, September 16, said that Buhari reminded the envoy of the roles played by Nigerian government in engendering majority rule in South Africa, and ending the apartheid segregationist policy.
He said: “Going back to historical antecedents, we made great sacrifices for South Africa to become a free state. I was a junior officer to General Murtala Muhammad, and General Olusegun Obasanjo. They were not operating in a democracy, but they got Nigerians to support them in the bid to see a free South Africa.
“Our leadership was quite committed to the cause. We made sacrifices, which younger people of today may not know. During my last visit to South Africa with the late President Robert Mugabe, it was very emotional, as Mugabe spoke about Nigeria’s contribution to free South Africa.”
The president extended appreciation to President Ramaphosa, through the special envoy, “for coming to explain to us what happened in South Africa recently, leading to killing and displacement of foreigners.”
In his remarks, Radebe apologised on behalf of his president for what he called “acts of criminality and violence” that recently occurred, adding that
“such do not represent our value system, nor those of the larger number of South Africans.” He said South Africa was an integral part of Africa, and is fully committed to peace and integration of the continent.
