The South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has blamed criminal elements in his country for the killings of Nigerian resident over there.

He however debunked the rumours that the killings are as a result of xenophobia against non-South Africans and vowed to bring perpetrators to book.

Ramaphosa was responding to a journalist’s question during a joint press conference he held with President Muhammadu Buhari, after their closed-door meeting in Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The South African President, who acknowledged that Nigerians through their support and sacrifice helped end the apartheid rule in his country, said it will be wrong to assume that Nigerians were being targeted as a result of xenophobia, as “South Africans cannot hate Nigerians”.

Ramaphosa explained that the high level of unemployment in South Africa which he puts at 9 million has resulted to crimes that involve and affect citizens and foreigners alike.

He however assured that his government was working hard to reduce crime rate in the country.

He said:

“There has been quite a number of incidence in our country where foreign nationals some of whom are Nigerians have lost their lives and are being attacked. I will like to say here and now that, that has been as a result of criminal activity among our own people which we are focusing on from a criminal element point of view.

“I want to state here and now that South Africans do not have any form of negative disposition or hatred towards Nigerians and in the main Nigerians in South Africa and a number of places of our country live side by side, they cooperate very well and some are in the corporate structures of our various companies and some are traders and some are into a number of things.

“So, I want to dispel this notion that when a Nigerian looses his or her life in South Africa, it is as a result of an intentional action by South Africans against Nigerians. That is simply not true.

Ramaphosa described the situation as disturbing, saying it is capable of hurting the recently-signed Continental Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) aimed at deepening intra-African commerce.

Speaking at the opening of the 25th annual meetings of the African Export Import Bank (Afrexim Bank), Ramaphosa said his administration realizes the role safety and security play in boosting intra-African trade and commerce and as such had begun tackling the xenophobic killings in order to guarantee sustained peace and progress on the continent.

He also revealed that a robust continental security masterplan exists at the African Union (AU) where a peace and security council was addressing the issues of security on the continent.

He said:

“It is tagged silence the guns” all in a bid to achieve security and safety. This free trade agreement has derivatives and want to see how countries grow economically and see how the guns are silenced.

“We have safety of people and movement of goods etc that are fully captured in the CFTA.

He said the CFTA was a most welcome development, urging all nations to sign the agreement in view of the enormous potential inherent in it:

“The agreement is pregnant with opportunities and of course challenges. We can then trade more effectively with one another devoid of tariff and then increase demand for the goods produced and sold. People will see the need to be manufacturing goods since a close market exists.

“It will boost industrialisation and indeed, it presents the grandest opportunities to go behind politics and solve conflicts through trade.”

https://lailasnews.com/criminals-behind-killings-of-nigerians-in-south-africa-cyril-ramaphosa/

lalasticlala

Wherever they are, they will all be exposed soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3T-GMu6tes

South Africa and Nigeria to improve relations: Cyril Ramaphosa

Tic for tac. Buhari said criminals where behind the killing of People in the middle belt. South Africa president says, "criminals are behind the killing of Nigerians in south Africa"

na who he want blame before

if nt for bad leadership naija for dn far

And I don't know how you will feel if criminals kill South Africans in various country

South African men are generally lazy.

Still that doesn't excuse the fact that some criminal elements of Nigerian origin who export drugs to South Africa have made all Nigerians an object of scorn and an easy target for xenophobes.

I hope the same criminals will be in charge of destroying dstv and choprite

Mhmm

Criminal na criminal so make una just use the authority and security apparatus as well as security votes (money) wey we don give una wey don dey una disposal tackle de issue of killings for S/A and Naija. Stop complaining joo!

Isn't it apparent that a person who kills is a criminal? So why reiterate it? Plus, are these criminals not South Africans? So Ramaphosa should simply say "South Africans are behind killing of Nigerians".

Nigerians are hated throughout. If it's not for their fraud it's drugs. Last week a nigerian was shot six times and died on the spot here in SA. It is heart breaking. South african criminals do murder nigerians but their biggest enemies are their fellow nigerians. From the producer to the supplier, the distributor and the street seller. These drug deals always go bad.

Criminal na criminal so make una just use the authority and security apparatus as well as security votes (money) wey we don give una wey don dey una disposal tackle de issue of killings for S/A and Naija. Stop giving excuses, no time, people are dying! People, not fishes! joo!

Mapouka

wittyt98:
Lies and more lies
Even my dog knows south africans "men" precisely don't like Nigerians

checkout this South African fb group and see how they talk shit about Nigerians

https://mobile./233197526773710?refid=46&__xts__%5B0%5D=12.%7B%22unit_id_click_type%

I don't blame them tho
I blame the desperate Igbos giving Nigeria a bad rep outside.

See those 2 boys you posted their photos...you will end up being the gateman of one of them and still blame Igbos.

Gbegiri guzzler

skales67:


See those 2 boys you posted their photos...you will end up being the gateman of one of them and still blame Igbos.

Gbegiri guzzler

as least it's better than selling drugs and getting shot in broad day light

if I don't end up being their gateman coman force me omo ale jati jati

Wetin he for talk before?

He's not Buhari who blames his country's citizens as lazy & corrupt.

Everyone knows South Africans openly detest Nigerians because:

(1) SA women follow Nigerians with a can-do, never say die, industrious and hustling spirit.
(2) Nigerians begin life with little and prosper.
(3) Any Nigerian who prospers is labelled drug dealer.

Ek

Yes!!! same as herdsmen killing Nigerians in Nigeria. This is Nigeria.

wittyt98:
as least it's better than selling drugs and getting shot in broad day light

if I don't end up being their gateman coman force me omo ale jati jati

E pain am!

Please what are these people now known for? Is it still diamond or just xenophobia?

While African-on-African crime has been a problem for a long while this vampire has refused to specifically condemn his brothers for the genocide in the N.Central.
Therefore, let us put our house in order first before accusing others.

skales67:

E pain am!

k

THEY KEEP USING THE WORD NIGERIANS, WHEN THE VICTIMS ARE USUALLY IGBO DRUG DEALERS AND CRIMINALS CARRYING NIGERIAN PASSPORTS.

WHEN IGBO CRIMINALS STOP OPERATING ABROAD THE NUMBER OF NIGERIAN PASSPORT HOLDERS ATTACKED AND KILLED WILL STOP.

els0nm0rali:
South African men are generally lazy.

Still that doesn't excuse the fact that some criminal elements of Nigerian origin who export drugs to South Africa have made all Nigerians an object of scorn and an easy target for xenophobes.

The bolded tells me you rely on over repeated heresay and have never been to South Africa, it's always embarrassing to read as a nigerian based in SA for years. Smh.

AreaFada2:
Wetin he for talk before?

He's not Buhari who blames his countries citizens as lazy corrupt.

Everyone knows South Africans openly detest Nigerians because:

(1) SA women follow Nigerians with a can-do, never say die, industrious and hustling spirit.
(2) Nigerians begin life with little and prosper.
(3) Any Nigerian who prospers is labelled drug dealer.

Lol, we really enjoy fooling ourselves don't we ?. It's disheartening how we like so much to embarrass ourselves and beat our chests about it . Smh.