South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday condemned weekend violence in Johannesburg that claimed two lives after security forces clashed with looters involved in fresh xenophobic attacks.
At least 10 people have been killed since the start of the month in a surge in attacks targeting foreign-owned businesses in and around South Africa’s largest city.
Ramaphosa “has condemned in the strongest terms a resurgence in public violence that claimed two lives in Johannesburg yesterday,” the presidency said in a statement.
The violence especially sparked reprisals against South African firms in Nigeria and the temporary closing of South Africa’s diplomatic missions in Lagos and Abuja.
In a statement, the Nigerian president’s office Monday gave “instructions for the immediate voluntary evacuation of all Nigerians who are willing to return home.”
The Nigerian Consul General in Johannesburg, Godwin Adamu, told AFP that his government would repatriate about 600 citizens from South Africa this week.
“They are about 600 now” to be flown back, said Adamu, A first flight will carry 320 Nigerians, he said, adding: “We will have another one immediately after that.
Source: Guardian Newspaper
