In this interview with DANIEL AYANTOYE, the South African Consul-General to Nigeria, Prof. Bobby Moroe, addresses allegations of xenophobia and recurring violence against migrants in his country.
Your recent visit to President Bola Tinubu generated public reactions after reports suggested that the President snubbed your delegation. Many Nigerians believe that the South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, should have personally met Tinubu instead of sending a delegation. How do you see this?
We need to educate the public about the craft of diplomacy. The President does not necessarily have to meet his counterpart. This is pure diplomacy at work. It is diplomatic practice for a Head of State to appoint a special envoy to deliver a message on his behalf to the Head of State of the receiving state.
In this case, President Ramaphosa, following the anti-migrant sentiment in South Africa, saw the need to appoint the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ronald Lamola, to visit two key countries – Ghana and Nigeria. In Ghana, he met with the Ghanaian President, while he met the representative of the Nigerian President, which is not unusual.
What are some of the issues raised?
