Civic movement known as Progressive Forces picketed at the Nigerian Embassy in Tshwane on Tuesday to protest against lawless activities committed by Nigerians in South Africa, including the coronation of the so-called Nigerian king in Ko Gompu City in the Eastern Cape Province recently.
They were joined by ActionSA and Abahambe national civic movements.
Progressive Forces Secretary Lebogang Shivote told Tshwane Talks that Nigerians have coronated the said king on South African soil and asked as to which lineage does the coronated monarch comes from in South Africa.
“This is unheard of in South Africa and we are seeking accountability from the Nigerian Embassy and asking for law-enforcement agencies to do their work because this coronation incident is a mockery of our sovereignty as a nation and pure disrespect to the citizens of South Africa,” she said.
“We have listed our grievances in a memorandum and we are asking the Nigerian Embassy to address the lawlessness that Nigerian citizens are responsible for in this country; we are asking the Nigerian government to cooperate with our government so that we can all live in harmony with Nigerians because we are not against Nigerians coming into South Africa, but we are saying they must do so legally and respect our laws, our leaders and the citizens of this country,” said Shivote.
She emphasised that Progressive Forces members are not xenophobic but are against any form of lawlessness which includes illegal immigration that is done by Nigerians and other foreigners.
“There are dire consequences that stem from illegal immigration and for example once an undocumented person commits a crime then it becomes impossible for them to be traced, and we will continue putting pressure on our government and reaching out to the Nigerian government because as citizens of this country we are not asking for much and if our demands are not heeded, then that would mean both governments are not prepared to see Nigerians and South Africans living in harmony in this country,” explained Shivote.
Before handing the memorandum of grievances to the representative of the Nigerian High Commissioner, Bongani from a residents association in Midrand said the coronation of the so-called king is high treason in itself and that as South Africans they are very angry.
“We want accountability from the Nigerian Embassy because it embodies the leadership of Nigerians who are in this country and we demand that all people who involved themselves in the coronation of the so-called king of East London while we have kings and queens of our own in South Africa to be held to account,” said Thabo Ngani president of Abahambe national civic movements.
“We are sitting on a time bomb and there will come a time when South Africans will revolt against all foreigners who are provoking South Africans in their own country,” he said.
“We now have no-go areas controlled by foreigners where South Africans are not allowed to enter and where has anyone seen foreigners coming into any country and forming their own government inside that country?” Ngani asked rhetorically.
“I would like to appeal to the South African government to act swiftly and ensure that no stone is left unturned to get to the bottom of this matter and I would like to add that as South Africans we are struggling with drugs that are brought into this country by Nigerians and that is a fact,” he emphasised.
“Our children have been turned into zombies by the drugs that are sold to them by Nigerians and we are going to mobilise all South Africans in all the nine provinces of this country to ensure that we defend this country without fear or favour and we though that when Nigerians and other foreigners came into this country they were going to be part of developing this country but it has now turned out that they are here to destroy this country with drugs,” he fumed.
“Illegal foreigners are violating the immigration laws of this country; there are laws in this country; we have a Constitution in this country; South Africa is a sovereign state and we are the ones that determined the existence of this government and are the ones who will decide whether we still want this government or not, and foreigners won’t determine our destiny and instigate chaos in this land,” he said.
“Ons is gatvol with what is happening in this country,” he fumed.
Another leader of the picket said the following to the representative of the Nigerian High Commissioner:
“We and our forefathers fought for democracy in this country for the benefit of South Africans, not for you to come here as foreigners and do as you please, and we are aware that there is an agenda by foreigners to take the sovereignty of this country from South Africans,” he said.
Also addressing the representative of of the Nigerian High Commissioner Olajide Ogunmadeji, a concerned citizen said the following:
“I am a concerned citizen because the CBD that I come from has been taken over by drug syndicates who masquarade as hair salons, and small businesses that sell snacks while in fact they sell drugs, and we have notified the police about this matter, and instead of arresting these drug dealers the police would only warn them, then they would disappear from their fake businesses only to resurface after a few minutes and continue with their illegal activities of selling drugs.
“We know that no one can survive even for a day from selling sweets and we know that those sweets-selling businesses are a way of disguising the drugs that they are selling.”
“At every street corner there is these drug-selling groups and this is so frustrating and we are here to humbly request that you bring this problem of selling drugs, which is perpetuated by your citizens under control,” he said.
“Just yesterday a Nigerian citizen was found in possession of 277 drug items hidden in something that looks like a box of soap; we have had enough and we are saying there is oil in Nigeria and instead of bringing us oil you are bringing us drugs.”
He added that Nigerians are here in South Africa to kill its children and destroy the country by selling drugs.
In response, the representative of the Nigerian High Commissioner said Nigeria is a responsible country; a country that respects the rule of law which is friendly to South Africa and its citizens.
Apparently downplaying the serious nature of the coronation of the so-called king, he said Nigeria does not in anyway want to undermine the Constitution of this country, the government of this country and the people of this country “and we apologise and I am tendering this apology on behalf of my ambassador and the Federal Republic of Nigeria and it is unfortunate that what happened happened, and the whole thing is not a coronation of a king but just a cultural celebration which must be ignored by South Africans and we know that emotions are very high in South Africa regarding the said coronation and we are therefore speaking to our people with the aim of asking them to respect the Constitution of this country.”
“I offer our sincerest apologies to all traditional institutions in South Africa and we say we are sorry for what happened,” he said.
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