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By Victor Osula, Abuja
The Nigerian National Assembly has responded to South Africa’s recurring xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African citizens by suspending all official visits to the country and ordering a boycott of legislative activities hosted or organized by South African authorities.
The decision, which takes effect immediately and will remain in effect until further notice, affects senators, members of the House of Representatives, National Assembly committees, officials and staff.
This follows growing concerns from the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives over reports that Nigerians living and conducting legitimate business in South Africa have been killed, injured, displaced or forced to abandon their businesses, investments, homes and other property due to xenophobic violence.
The Clerk of the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, quoted the leadership as saying the attacks continued despite repeated calls from the Nigerian government and other stakeholders for South African authorities to take decisive measures to protect Nigerians and other foreign nationals.
The lawmakers also recognized the interventions of the Federal Government and other stakeholders to assist Nigerians affected by the attacks and facilitate the evacuation of Nigerian citizens from South Africa.
Under the resolution, all official visits to South Africa by the National Assembly, its committees, legislators, officials and staff were suspended.
The boycott extends to conferences, seminars, workshops, parliamentary meetings, legislative exchanges and other activities organized or hosted by South African legislative authorities.
The National Assembly also stipulated that its members and officials should not physically or virtually participate in legislative programs hosted by South Africa.
The Chancellor has been directed to communicate the decision to senators, members of the House of Representatives, committees, departments, directorates, officials and staff for strict compliance.
The leadership said the decision was taken out of concern for the safety and well-being of Nigerians in South Africa and should not be construed as an attempt to sever or weaken the long-standing historical, diplomatic and people-to-people relations between Nigeria and South Africa.
Rather, he described the action as a firm expression of concern for the safety, dignity and well-being of Nigerians living and conducting legitimate business in South Africa.
The lawmakers called on the South African government to take urgent and concrete measures to protect Nigerians and other African citizens from further xenophobic attacks.
They called for reported incidents to be thoroughly investigated, for suspected perpetrators to be arrested and for those found guilty to be prosecuted in accordance with South African law.
The lawmakers also urged the leadership of State Houses of Assembly across Nigeria to take note of the resolution and consider taking similar measures in response to the situation.
The leadership of the National Assembly said it will continue to monitor developments regarding the safety and well-being of Nigerians in South Africa. It added that the suspension and boycott will remain in place until further notice, but may be reviewed based on developments and measures taken by the South African authorities.
Nigeria and South Africa maintain one of the most important bilateral relationships on the African continent, with extensive diplomatic, economic, trade, investment, security and people-to-people ties.
However, relations between the two countries have repeatedly come under strain due to attacks on Nigerians and other African migrants in South Africa.
Over the years, xenophobic violence has resulted in attacks on foreign-owned businesses, destruction of property, displacement and, in some cases, death. Nigerians have often been among those affected, sparking diplomatic protests, calls for greater protection and interventions from both governments.
The recurring incidents have also generated public anger in Nigeria, particularly where Nigerians perceive that South African authorities are failing to adequately protect foreign nationals or bring perpetrators to justice.
The National Assembly’s latest action marks a significant escalation in Nigeria’s institutional response to the issue, as the federal legislature has now moved from diplomatic appeals and concerns to suspending parliamentary engagement with South African legislative institutions.
The decision places the issue of the safety of Nigerians in South Africa firmly on the agenda of Nigeria’s legislative and diplomatic relations with Pretoria, leaving the door open for a review should the South African government take concrete measures to address the attacks and protect affected foreign nationals.
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