SA tones down response to Nigeria

PRETORIA. — Government on Tuesday distanced itself from a scathing statement issued by international relations spokesman Clayton Monyela following the recall of Nigerian diplomats from Pretoria. At a media briefing in Pretoria, Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe was asked to explain whether the strongly-worded statement issued by the department had assisted in mending bilateral relations with Abuja.
Radebe responded: “The interview yesterday is not an official position of the South African government.”

“Our relations with the Federal Republic of Nigeria are very cordial.”
Radebe was leading six government ministers addressing reporters on government’s response to attacks on foreign nationals.

Monyela on Sunday termed the decision to recall Nigeria’s acting high commissioner to Pretoria “unfortunate” and “regrettable”. His statement suggested that Nigeria’s decision was exploiting the xenophobic attacks in South Africa for an ulterior motive.
It said that no other country had taken such a step.

The government also took a swipe at Nigeria, pointing out that it had never blamed the Nigerian government for the deaths of 84 South Africans in the collapse of a church building in Lagos last year.

South Africa had also not blamed the Nigerian government for the delay of more than nine months in the repatriation of all the bodies.
It also noted that it did not blame the Nigerian government for the atrocities committed by the extremist Islamist group Boko Haram.

The government said the Nigerian delegation at the Asia-Africa summit in Indonesia did not raise the issue with Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa who was there.
Pretoria said it would raise its concerns with the new Nigerian administration of President-elect Muhammadu Buhari who defeated President Goodluck Jonathan in elections earlier this month.

This suggested that President Jacob Zuma’s government regarded the recall of the commissioner as an affront by Jonathan’s administration and that it was looking to the new administration to mend damaged relations. — Online.