DIPLOMACY
SA and Nigeria to step up fight against xenophobia
Maite Nkoana-Mashabane says an early warning system will share information with the Nigerian government
SA and Nigeria should develop a programme of "social diplomacy" to rid both countries of xenophobic tendencies. The two countries, Africa’s largest economies, have witnessed xenophobic attacks on each other’s nationals in the past few weeks, leading to calls for deeper co-operation to root out the evil. Deputy National Assembly speaker Lechesa Tsenoli and Femi Gbajabiamila, the speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, told the media in Parliament on Tuesday that the two countries would seek the "integration of the diaspora". "We will work on a way in which we can point areas of collaboration for a mid-to long-term so that when we do meet again, it will be on the basis of how to progress from those," said Tsenoli. Gbajabiamila said the discussions with Parliament would go a long way to healing wounds in an otherwise healthy relationship between the nations. The efforts by the two governments follow an announcement on Monday by International Relations and Co-operation Ministe...
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