Mashaba meets with Nigerian Ambassador over xenophobia
Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba has met with the Nigerian Ambassador at the Nigerian Consulate this morning.
Mashaba, Nigeria's Ambassador and consul-general met to discuss issues of xenophobia in Johannesburg.
City spokesperson Tony Taverna-Turisan says they discussed ways in which they can work together to ensure better relations going forward
Taverna-Turisan says it is essential they find lasting solutions.
"The Nigerian consulate agreed with the views expressed by the mayor in the past and acknowledged the fact that the mayor is not the one stoking any form of xenophobic violence," Taverna-Turisan says.
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He says it's unfortunate that national government is trying to use the situation for political gain instead of looking for lasting solutions.
"The mayor has sent a number of letter to [Home Affairs] Minister Malusi Gigaba, asking for them to work together to find solutions. Minister Gigaba has ignored our every attempt to work together," Taverna-Turisan says.
He says Mashaba will be setting up a meeting with other African embassies next week to find ways to work together.
"The mayor's fight is against criminality in the City of Johannesburg. Criminality does not have the face of a foreigner. Criminality does not have the face of a specific race group. We need to understand that we have major crime problems in the City of Johannesburg."