Calling South Africa xenophobic is unfair – Envoy, Moroe

South Africa's Consul-General to Nigeria, Prof. Bobby Moroe, asserted that labeling his country as xenophobic is unfair. He addressed public reactions to a recent visit by a South African delegation to President Bola Tinubu, explaining that the delegation, led by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola, was a standard diplomatic practice to convey messages from President Cyril Ramaphosa.

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We need to educate the public about the craft of diplomacy. The President does not necessarily have to meet his counterpart. This is pure diplomacy at work.

Moroe acknowledged that genuine concerns were raised by both sides, including allegations of extrajudicial killings. He cited an incident where a Nigerian national died after swallowing substances while evading arrest, stating that while his country takes responsibility where necessary, it should not be held accountable for actions unrelated to state responsibility. He stressed that individuals sometimes resist arrest, leading law enforcement to protect themselves.

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That was attributed to an extrajudicial killing. That is based on the report we received, but we do not know how accurate it is.

Regarding recurring attacks against migrants, Moroe stated that the majority of South Africans do not harbor anti-migrant sentiments, highlighting that many South Africans are married to foreign nationals. He described South Africa as a "rainbow nation." While acknowledging the concerns, Moroe indicated that diplomatic work is progressing from the ground up and expressed confidence that actions will follow in the coming weeks, suggesting no immediate need for a presidential meeting as the message has been conveyed.

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As a country, we take responsibility where necessary, but I think it would be very unfair for us to take responsibility for acts that have nothing to do with what we are supposed to be responsible for.