Pretoria - If the Nigerian High Commission fails to act against human trafficking, gender-based violence and drug peddling, foreign nationals would be removed from the country.
This is according to Action for Change and other affiliates, who on Wednesday marched to the Nigerian High Commission in Hatfield against what they described as rising cases of human trafficking in the capital and country in general.
They stated that if their demands were not met in three months, they would embark on an action-based protest and physically remove all foreigners in all identified epicentres of human trafficking.
Speaking to Pretoria News, one of the organisers, Nandisa Gschwari, said there were so many cases of human trafficking.
Gschwari said they had evidence that Nigerians were allegedly top of the list of offenders and wanted to know what the Nigerian High Commission was doing about this.
“We demand the harsh prosecution of law enforcement officials who are aiding human trafficking rings and raiding of all buildings that have been marked as epicentres of human trafficking as well as the reservation of buildings in the inner city exclusively to South Africans to end drug and human trafficking," she said.
She blasted Home Affairs for granting citizenship to undeserving foreign nationals.
The group also demanded a public apology from the Nigerian embassy for all atrocities caused by their citizens in South Africa and a detailed remedial action plan.
Nigerian ambassador to SA Kabiru Bala, upon receiving the memorandum, said it pained him that they were being singled out.
“It saddens me the most for my country to be singled out of more than 170 countries represented in this beautiful country; it appears Nigeria is the target and there is no other country,” said Bala.
“I will not accept that all Nigerians are criminals in this country. I will not and Nigeria will not accept that”
Pretoria News