South African President Cyril Ramaphosa demands respect from immigrants
Elegbede Abiodun
Emmanuel reportedly died from injuries sustained during beatings by the military personnel on April 20, 2026, while Andrew was apprehended on April 19, in Booysens area of Pretoria, and his body was subsequently discovered at the Pretoria Central Mortuary.
Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg has condemned the killing of two Nigerians, Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew, by South African National Defence Force (SANDF) personnel in Port Elizabeth.
However, South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, urged Nigerians and other foreign nationals residing in the country to respect the laws, customs and traditions.
Following the tragedy, the Consul-General, Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, stated yesterday that the killings had further raised questions about the safety of Nigerians and other foreigners in Mandiba’s country.
She added that the separate incidents had left the bereaved families, the Nigerian community and diplomatic missions in shock.
The Consul-General noted the inherent danger over continuous generalisation in some quarters and tagging of well-meaning innocent Nigerians in the country as criminals.
Okey-Uche said: “On this, we are calling on South African authorities to thoroughly investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators of the gruesome act to justice. Our position is that no matter what the allegations may be, there are lawful processes and steps to justice.
“All should be presumed innocent and granted fair treatment and hearing in a court of law. No one should take laws into their hands under any circumstance. We hope to achieve the ultimate prosecution of the perpetrators.”
She appealed to Nigerians to remain calm and law-abiding as they conduct their legal activities and go about their daily lives in South Africa.
Emmanuel reportedly died from injuries sustained during beatings by the military personnel on April 20, 2026, while Andrew was apprehended on April 19, in Booysens area of Pretoria, and his body was subsequently discovered at the Pretoria Central Mortuary.
RAMAPHOSA made the remarks during an address aired on SABC News on Freedom Day, amid renewed anti-foreigner tensions in parts of the country.
“To those who are here legally, respect us as South Africans, respect our laws, respect our conventions and our traditions, as you would want us to respect the laws and traditions of your country,” he said.
The President stressed that while South Africa remains committed to global cooperation and human rights, it would not hesitate to enforce its immigration laws. He urged citizens to trust the law in the case of illegal immigrants.
“We, therefore, say let us allow our laws to take their course. We have already set in place the way in which we will be able to deal with those who are in our country illegally. We remain committed to multilateralism, to respect international law and principled diplomacy,” Ramaphosa stated.
He emphasised the role of international law in maintaining global order.
To calm frayed nerves, Nigeria’s Acting Ambassador to South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, insisted that Nigerians were not under coordinated attack.
Meanwhile, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has issued safety advisories to Nigerians living in South Africa, urging them to remain law-abiding and avoid confrontations.
In a statement, the commission advised Nigerians to “avoid confrontation with protesters, refrain from engaging with demonstration groups, and monitor local media for real-time safety updates.”
It also warned that protests in cities such as East London, Cape Town, Durban, and parts of KwaZulu-Natal had, in some instances, turned violent, resulting in looting and property damage.
NiDCOM also disclosed that the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, was engaging with her South African counterpart over the situation.
