A human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has asked the Nigerian Government to sue the South African Government for the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians.
He said the Nigerian Government should direct the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria to coordinate the legal process.
Falana also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to pull out of World Economic Summit scheduled to hold in South Africa.
He said, “The crisis has been compounded by wanton corruption and the neoliberal policies of the government.
“Hence, the South African masses have been denied the dividends of democracy by the African National Congress-led government.
“In particular, the masses have no access to health, housing, education and employment. Out of sheer frustration, millions of young people in South Africa have decided to subject African immigrants to xenophobic attacks.
“In addition to the payment of adequate compensation to all victims of the mindless attacks, the government must teach South Africans about the immense contributions of the people of Cuba and a number of African countries to the struggle waged against apartheid and colonialism in the Southern African region.
“However, since the Cyril Ramaphosa administration is not likely to accede to the demand for compensation, the Nigerian Government should brief a team of lawyers to seek legal redress for the victims of the attacks in South African courts.
“The Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria should be directed to coordinate the legal defence.
“In view of the regular harassment of Nigerians in South Africa and a few other African countries, the Nigerian Government should make the declaration to enable individual victims of human rights abuse to access the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights sitting in Arusha, Tanzania.”
