The National Assembly has suspended all official visits to South Africa and directed lawmakers and staff to boycott legislative engagements hosted or organised by South African authorities over concerns about continued xenophobic attacks against Nigerians.
The directive, which takes effect immediately and remains in force until further notice, was disclosed in a statement issued by the spokesman of the House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi, on Friday.
The decision followed reports of Nigerians and other African nationals being killed, injured, displaced and forced to abandon their businesses, homes and investments amid renewed xenophobic violence in South Africa.
The National Assembly leadership, led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, directed the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, to communicate the decision to all lawmakers, committees, departments, directorates, officials and staff.
“The Leadership of the National Assembly, led by H.E. Senator Godswill Akpabio, GCON, President of the Senate, and Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, PhD, GCON, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to communicate to all Distinguished Senators, Honourable Members, Committees, departments, directorates, officials and staff the decision of the National Assembly to suspend all official visits to the Republic of South Africa and boycott South African-hosted or South African-organised legislative activities and engagements until further notice,” the statement read.
The directive covers official visits by lawmakers, committees, officials and staff, as well as conferences, seminars, workshops, meetings, parliamentary exchanges and other legislative engagements organised, hosted, sponsored or co-sponsored by South African legislative authorities.
It applies to both physical and virtual engagements, including invitations to participate in programmes hosted by South African legislative institutions.
The National Assembly also ordered that all existing arrangements, invitations and proposed programmes involving official visits or legislative engagements in South Africa be reviewed.
It said no official delegation, committee, lawmaker, official or staff member could participate in any such engagement during the suspension without the prior express approval of the leadership.
The statement said the decision was taken after consultations between the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The lawmakers expressed concern that the attacks had continued despite repeated appeals by the Nigerian government and other stakeholders for South African authorities to protect Nigerians and other foreign nationals and prosecute perpetrators.
“Of particular concern to the National Assembly is the persistence of these incidents despite repeated appeals by the Federal Government of Nigeria and other stakeholders to the South African authorities to take decisive measures to protect Nigerians and other foreign nationals and bring perpetrators of xenophobic violence to justice,” it stated.
The latest directive follows an earlier condemnation by the National Assembly of renewed xenophobic attacks in South Africa and its support for diplomatic efforts to address the violence against Nigerians.
The legislature, however, said the suspension did not amount to a rejection of Nigeria’s longstanding diplomatic and people-to-people relationship with South Africa.
“While parliamentary diplomacy and inter-legislative cooperation remain important, they must rest on mutual respect and a shared commitment to protecting life, property and lawful enterprise,” the statement noted.
The National Assembly said its leadership could review the suspension depending on developments.
