Ramaphosa dispatches envoys to African nations over xenophobia

President Cyril Ramaphosa dispatched three officials to seven African nations to discuss how the government is addressing a recent spate of xenophobic attacks in his country.

Former minister Jeff Radebe, Ambassador Kingsley Mmabolo and Khulu Mbatha, a veteran leader of the ruling African National Congress, will visit Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, according to a statement emailed by the presidency on Sunday.

Read: Xenophobic attacks leave migrants living in fear

“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,” it said.

Clashes erupted in South Africa after a taxi driver was shot dead on August 27, allegedly by a suspected Nigerian drug dealer, in the capital, Pretoria. Scores of foreign-owned shops were looted and torched in the ensuing violence. The attacks spread to Johannesburg, leaving at least 12 people dead and more than 50 shops and several vehicles destroyed.

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