The All Progressives Congress (APC), Tuesday, condemned the ongoing xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals, particularly on Nigerians in South Africa.
The party also deplored the destruction of properties and businesses belonging to the victims.
These are contained in a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Lanre Issa-Onilu.
“As a party, we are deeply saddened by these unwarranted attacks. Nigeria deserves better from South Africa.
“It is too early for South Africans to forget their country’s history. Many of the key players in the struggle against apartheid are still alive and active in the country’s national affairs.
“We, therefore, cannot understand why there seems to be a conspiracy of silence on their part.
The APC described as “barbaric,” the attacks on citizens of other countries, saying it points to a failure of leadership.
It said the South African leaders cannot exonerate themselves from the cowardly act.
The APC, therefore, called on the South African ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) to urgently step in.
“This is completely at variance with what ANC stood for. The ANC government can no longer pretend about this obvious contradiction.
“The violence being meted to Nigerians under ANC calls to question the very essence of the struggle against apartheid in which Nigeria was a frontline ally of South Africa.
“How can those who supported you and made huge sacrifices for your freedom become fair games to be murdered in cold blood?
“Perhaps, there is a disconnect between the younger and older generations of South Africa.
“The older generation cannot sit back while the uninformed youths and some South African public officials in their quest for inordinate populism destroy what we collectively achieved over several decades of sacrifice and brotherliness,” the APC said.
Already, it said Nigeria’s foreign affairs ministry has summoned the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria over the xenophobic attacks.
The parry, however, agreed that the move was one of the first steps in what is said is government’s proactive response to the unfortunate incident.
“We assure Nigerians that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration would continue to take decisive measures.
“The safety of Nigerians – home and abroad – is non-negotiable to the APC administration,” the party concluded.
