South Africa is Safe, no Xenophobia — SA Envoy, Bobby Moroe Urges Nigerians to Visit
South Africa’s Consul-General, Prof. Bobby Moroe, has pushed back against claims that Nigerians and other foreigners are being targeted in xenophobic attacks in the country, insisting that “there is no xenophobia in South Africa. ”Moroe made the statement during an interview on Nigeria Info FM, where he addressed growing concerns over the repeated targeting of Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa.
at 11-08-2026 07:25 AM (1 hr ago)(f)South Africa’s Consul-General, Prof. Bobby Moroe, has pushed back against claims that Nigerians and other foreigners are being targeted in xenophobic attacks in the country, insisting that “there is no xenophobia in South Africa. ”Moroe made the statement during an interview on Nigeria Info FM, where he addressed growing concerns over the repeated targeting of Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa. During the interview, the host pointed out that many Nigerians remain worried about attempts to blame such attacks mainly on illegal migration, especially given the history of xenophobic violence against foreigners in South Africa. Asked whether previous attacks could be described as xenophobic, Moroe referred to historical incidents involving foreigners in Nigeria, including the expulsion of Ghanaians during the era popularly remembered as “Ghana Must Go. ”According to him, such actions were driven by economic pressures rather than hatred for foreigners. “We only said they should go back to their country because, you know, we wanted better economy for ourselves,” Moroe said. However, he acknowledged that Nigerians have legitimate reasons to be concerned about their safety, particularly in light of previous incidents. Moroe stressed that the South African government condemns any form of abuse or violence against individuals, regardless of their nationality or immigration status. “Your concerns are genuine. But as a government, we condemn abuse of any individuals, whether South African or foreigner, even if you are illegal. Whether you are legal or illegal, you have a right according to the South African Constitution for protection,” he said. The Consul-General also acknowledged the challenges facing many South Africans, including unemployment, inequality and poverty. However, he maintained that these problems should not be addressed through violence or attacks on foreigners. Moroe further argued that South Africa has become closely associated with the word “xenophobia,” suggesting that similar incidents in other countries are often described differently. “The nomenclature xenophobia has become synonymous with South Africa. If it happens in other countries like it’s happening in Ghana now, it is not given the name xenophobia, it’s called something else,” he said. I have been reporting for several years now and I am very interested in visual news reportage with strong inclusion of photos and video multimedia. Posted: at 11-08-2026 07:25 AM (1 hr ago) |Addicted Hero