Hello Friends!
More News from Punch Newspapers:
South African Government has ruled out the possibility of compensating the 125 Nigerians who were recently denied entry into the country.
Minister of Correctional Services, Mrs. Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, made known the position of her government in Abuja on Thursday.
Mapisa-Nqakula was in the Presidential Villa as the leader of an eight-man special delegation sent by President Jacob Zuma to formally apologise for the incident, which caused a diplomatic row between the two countries.
She said, “The issue of compensation is out of the question. We don’t understand why South Africa will have to compensate.
“We believe that it is enough that we have come out and apologised. It is enough that we have demonstrated our goodwill to the government of Nigeria; it is enough that the President has sent a special envoy to reiterate his commitment to the bi-national with Nigeria and to improve working relationship with Nigeria.”
She however said her country had commenced investigation into the activities of the airport officials who turned back the Nigerians on the gound that their Yellow Fever Vaccination Cards were fakes.
The minister said, “South Africa reiterates once more its commitment to the bi-national that was initiated more than 10 years ago between South Africa and Nigeria. We have committed ourselves that within the next month, we will be having a bi-national in South Africa led by the Deputy President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Deputy President of the South Africa.
“On behalf of the people of South Africa, on behalf of our government and on behalf of our President, it is important to reassure the people of Nigeria that there was no decision of Cabinet to deport big number of people from Nigeria.
“It was not deliberate and xenophobia is not the policy of government in South Africa and there was no deliberate attack on the integrity of the people of Nigeria. In fact, we have about two million Nigerians living in South Africa. We co-exist and some of them work very closely with us.
“It has always been the tradition and practice in South Africa that all decisions relating to method of deportation or repatriation are decisions which are taken at the highest level. It has never happened in South Africa that junior officials somewhere at the airport will decide they are going to send these ones back. As I said, it has never happened before. It was not even a decision of the Premier (governor equivalent in Nigeria) of the Province.
“We are currently conducting an investigation and we have announced in South Africa that there will be consequences for whoever took that decision. But the nature of the sanction will depend on the people who take that decision.”
Mapisa-Nqakula had earlier met with Jonathan where she apologised on behalf of her government and presented a letter of apology to the host president.
At the meeting, Jonathan suggested the resuscitation of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission in order to further strengthen the warm relations between the two countries.
He said Nigeria and South Africa had good economic relations, and emphasised that current warm political relations should be maintained as well.
Mapisa-Nqakula condemned the terrorist attacks in Nigeria and pledged her country’s commitment to the fight against terrorism wherever it occurs.
Last Words: Would any Immigration Officer act contrary to the directives of his/her own government? I see the issue of investigating the airport officials by the South African Government, as cheap excuse to SINCERELY admit that they have indeed WRONGED the Nigerian People/Government!
However,let me not totally rule out the possibility of such a situation. Let us wait and see the outcome of the proposed ''investigation''.
xoxo
Simply Cheska...
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