Pretoria - South Africa and Nigeria have pledged to continue to work together for the good of their people and the continent as a whole.
This emerged on Thursday after a telephonic discussion between President Jacob Zuma and President Goodluck Jonathan regarding the recent developments between the two countries.
On Saturday, Nigeria’s acting high commissioner to South Africa, Martin Cobham and the deputy high commissioner Uche Ajulu-Okeke were recalled.
The Nigerian government later claimed that the recalling was standard practice and would brief their Parliament on the violence against foreign nationals which has left at least seven people dead in South Africa.
This was after the International Relations and Cooperation Department issued a statement which said the decision was “unfortunate” and a “regrettable” step.
“If this action is based on the incidents of attacks on foreign nationals in some parts of our country, it would be curious for a sisterly country to want to exploit such a painful episode for whatever agenda,” the statement from Dirco said at the time.
According to the Presidency, during the telephonic conversation “President Jonathan expressed his support for the efforts of South Africa to arrest the attacks on foreign nationals and to ensure the safety and security of all citizens, including foreign nationals and those from the African continent, in particular, who bore the brunt of the attacks earlier this month”.
President Zuma will also attend the inauguration of the President-elect General Muhammadu Buhari, next month. - SAnews.gov.za
