Political analyst, Zamikhaya Maseti, says the Special Envoys that President Cyril Ramaphosa has deployed throughout the continent, should offer no apologies but rather a stern warning to the various governments to make sure their nationals adhere to the rule of law while in South Africa.
Ramaphosa’s move is an attempt to repair the damage that the recent attacks on foreign nationals have caused.
The head of South Africa’s special envoy Jeff Radebe will traverse the continent to initiate peace talks and apologise.
Maseti says the narrative that South Africans are xenophobic is false, but some foreign nationals in the country are exploiting the most vulnerable, resulting in the violence as communities fight back.
“Those envoys must also be in a better position to convey our displeasure about the conduct of their foreign nationals. Who will apologise for those children and daughters who are enslaved by Nigerians who are prostitutes who are drug addicts? Who will apologise for those people? South African girls who are abused by pastor Omotoso. We cannot beg on bended knees. But we have to communicate a very, very clear message about some of these evil acts that we experience in our communities. Our communities are vulnerable. They are facing unemployment.”
See pictures of the head of South Africa’s special envoy, Jeff Radebe in Nigeria below:
