XENOPHOBIA: South African minister says ‘many’ Nigerians into drugs, human trafficking in the country

In reaction to widespread backlash following xenophobic attacks in South Africa, the South African Foreign Affairs Minister, Naledi Pandor, has called on the Nigerian government to help her country keep off Nigerians who are into drug peddling, human trafficking and other vices.

Pandor made the demand in an interview with South African TV station, eNCA on Thursday.

According to her, South Africa needed the help of the Nigerian government to curb crimes in their country, as she said that South Africans believed that Nigerians were into drug peddling, human trafficking and other vices that hurt their nation.

Pandor said: “Help us address the belief and the reality that our people have that there are many persons from Nigeria, who are dealing in drugs in our country, who are harming our young people by making drugs easily available to them.

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“The belief that Nigerian nationals are involved in human trafficking and other abusive practices. This kind of assistance in ensuring that such people don’t come to our country would be of great assistance to our nation.”

There has been tension between Nigeria and South Africa after foreigners became the target of xenophobic attacks in South Africa since last week after a taxi driver was killed by an alleged drug dealer in Pretoria.

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