The mayor of Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba, has said he sees no reason why South Africa should apologize to other African nations, including Nigeria, for recent attacks on foreigners in that country.
Mashaba said this when he appeared on South African television channel, eNCA, on Sunday.
The mayor’s statement is coming about a week after President Cyril Ramaphosa sent special envoys to about seven African countries to offer South Africa’s apology for recent xenophobic attacks in the country.
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Ramaphosa’s special envoy to Nigeria, Jeff Radebe, had on September 16 met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, where he apologized for attacks on Nigerians in that country.
But speaking during his appearance on the TV station, Mashaba said: “Personally, as Herman Mashaba I see no reason why I have to apologise, in fact for me as Herman Mashaba, I believe that a lot of people who have an agenda to collapse this country should apologise to me.
“They have to apologise to millions of girls who are turned into prostitutes by international drug syndicates”, he said.
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The Johannesburg mayor insisted that immigration issues in South Africa were solely caused by other African nationals.
“We are not only sitting with problems of immigration from Africans, I have given you an example of someone from the Czech Republic, we also have Afghanis, Pakistanis, how many Pakistanis are in this country illegally?” Mashaba queried.
Dat tru y apologies to the Nigeran when there people attack our law enforcement in the CBD did there apologies mr mashaba u need to be the President of dis country becoz u’ll protect this country
Seriously this is no time to sweep serious matters under the carpet, how do you think South Africans feel being called Xenophobic just for cleaning their house?
You’re instilling more anger and making matters worse, South African people’s cries should be heard too.