Ramaphosa Sends Special Envoys To African Heads Of State Over Xenophobia

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will despatch special envoys to deliver messages of solidarity to several heads of state and governments across Africa following attacks on foreign nationals in the country.

In a statement on Sunday, spokesperson Khusela Diko said:

The special envoys will deliver a message from President Ramaphosa regarding the incidents of violence that recently erupted in some parts of South Africa, which have manifested in attacks on foreign nationals and destruction of property.

… The special envoys will brief governments in the identified African countries about the steps that the South African government is taking to bring a stop to the attacks and to hold the perpetrators to account.

The team of envoys include Jeff Radebe, Ambassador Kingsley Mmabolo, and Dr Khulu Mbatha. It is expected to visit Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.

Ramaphosa was on Saturday booed in Zimbabwe by mourners who were paying their last respects to former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe who died in Singapore on 6 September. The heckling prompted Ramaphosa to issue an apology:

I stand before you as a fellow African, to express my regret and to apologise for what has happened in our country.

More: News24