Naledi Pandor, South African minister of foreign affairs, on Thursday said majority of Nigerians in the country were into one criminal and nefarious activity or the other.
Reacting to critisms that South Africa’s security agencies are complicit in the plethora of xenophobic attacks rocking the country, she said Many Nigerians were involved in drug peddling and human trafficking.
Many Nigerians and other Africans based in South Africa lost properties worth millions of dollars in the fresh attacks.
South Africans believe many Nigerians are “harming our young people.”
Pandor told eNCA, a South African media outfit in an interview.
Asked if the country’s security agencies are doing enough to protect foreigners including Nigerians, she responded: “I would appreciate them in helping us as well to address the belief our people have and the reality that there are many persons from Nigeria dealing in drugs in our country.
“I believe that Nigerian nationals are involved in human trafficking and other abusive practices.
“These kind of assistance of ensuring that such persons do not come to our country will be of great assistance to our nation.”
Nigeria, however, demanded full compensation for its citizens affected in the latest attacks, but Pandor had earlier said there was no provision for such.