The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the latest xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals, particularly Nigerians, their property and businesses by South Africans.

The ruling party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, on Tuesday, said Nigeria deserve better from South Africa for being a frontline ally in the country’s struggle against apartheid.

APC reminded South Africans the role Nigeria played in their apartheid struggle and said it is too early for them to forget their history.

The party also accused South African leaders of being culpable in the repeated attacks, saying the “barbaric attack on citizens of other countries points to a failure of leadership.”

“South African leaders cannot exonerate themselves from this cowardly act,” the party said in the statement.

APC called on the ruling party, “the African National Congress (ANC) to urgently step in.”

The statement read:

“The All Progressives Congress (APC) strongly condemns the recent South African xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals, particularly on Nigerians, their property and businesses.

“As a party, we are deeply saddened by these unwarranted attacks. Nigeria deserves better from South Africa. It is too early for South Africans to forget their country’s history. Many of the key players in the struggle against apartheid are still alive and active in the country’s national affairs. We therefore cannot understand why there seems to be a conspiracy of silence on their part.

“The barbaric attack on citizens of other countries points to a failure of leadership. South African leaders cannot exonerate themselves from this cowardly act. We call on the South African ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) to urgently step in. This is completely at variance with what ANC stood for. The ANC government can no longer pretend about this obvious contradiction.

“The violence being meted to Nigerians under ANC calls to question the very essence of the struggle against apartheid in which Nigeria was a frontline ally of South Africa. How can those who supported you and made huge sacrifices for your freedom become fair games to be murdered in cold blood?

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“Perhaps there is a disconnect between the younger and older generations of South Africa. The older generation cannot sit back while the uninformed youths and some South African public officials in their quest for inordinate populism destroy what we collectively achieved over several decades of sacrifice and brotherliness.

“Today, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria over the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians. This is one of the first steps in this government’s proactive response to this unfortunate incident. We assure Nigerians that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration would continue to take decisive measures. The safety of Nigerians – home and abroad – is non-negotiable to the APC administration.”