SOUTH AFRICA TO RELEASE NAMES OF XENOPHOBIA VICTIMS

The South African government said on Monday that the names of nationals killed in the attacks on foreigners by its citizens would soon be released.

The South African Presidency, in a statement, a copy of which was made available to one of our correspondents on Tuesday, said it had received media enquiries about the names of foreign nationals killed during the violence that broke out in KwaZulu-Natal.

“Government is still in the process of verifying the information and the names will be released as soon as there has been conclusive positive identification of the victims.

“President Zuma released the names of the three South Africans who were killed in KwaZulu-Natal and Mr. Manuel Jossias of Mozambique, who was killed in Alexandra township, Johannesburg,” the South African Presidency said.

It added that Zuma once again extended condolences to all the affected families on behalf of the government and the people of South Africa.

The South African government, the statement said, was in touch with the embassies of affected countries to ensure careful management of “this difficult and painful process.”

The government stated further that its police had been working round the clock to apprehend the perpetrators of the violence.

“President Zuma requests all who have information about the incidents in which the victims were killed to come forward so that those responsible would be brought to book,” it said.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Water Resources, Mr. Lasun Yusuf, has urged the Federal Government to take more drastic step against the government of South Africa to protest the xenophobic attack on Nigerians and other foreigners in the country.

Yusuf said this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Osogbo, Osun State, on Monday.

The lawmaker, who is representing the Osogbo/Olorunda/ Irepodun/Orolu Federal Constituency in the House, urged the Federal Government to sever all bilateral agreements with South Africa.

He said the South African government and its people had been taking Nigeria for granted for too long, saying the time had come to show that Nigeria would no longer tolerate attacks on its citizens anywhere in the world.