Amb. Thami Mseleku, the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, has called for a concerted effort between Nigeria and South Africa to isolate criminals creating bad image for the two countries.
The new envoy said this when he led a delegation of South African officials to pay a courtesy call on Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO Nigerians in Diaspora Commission in Abuja on Monday.
Amb. Mseleku said that there is urgent need to activate the Early Warning System (EAS) under the Bi-National Commission signed by the two countries to stem the tide of criminality.
He explained that under the system, security and intelligence network as well as people-to-people relations will be greatly achieved.
“So all these rumours labbeling Nigerians as criminals are not true just as not all South Africans are xenophobic in nature”, he explained.
He said a criminal is a criminal and must dealth with according to the laws of the land, urging the South African police not to collaborate with any form of criminality.
Amb. Mseleku alleged that some politicians were behind some of the crises in South Africa using it for political gains against Nigerians.
He debunked the rumour in social media that Nigerians have been asked to vacate the country, saying Nigerians are excelling in all fields of human endeavours in South Africa contributing to its national development.
He noted that the case of xenophobia and the issues therein in South Africa, is a result of perception of the two nations.
He added that he is working closely with the Nigerian Embassy in South Africa to foil the schemes of fake news authors, who incite news to cause frictions between the two countries, through monitoring of information and knowledge sharing.
Receiving the Envoy in her office, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa said that many Nigerians are in South Africa contributing to both the national development of the two countries.
She said that lack of knowledge on the part of some people in South Africa was responsible for the xenophobic attacks on the blacks , stressing that the Commission is ready to work with the High Commissioner to nip it in the bud.
Dabiri-Erewa stated that those few Nigerians who are indulged in crimes and criminality should be punished in line with the law of the land while those excelling must be celebrated.
Abdur-Rahman Balogun
Head, Media and Public Relations Unit NIDCOM Abuja
