African business leadership preaches peace to counter South Africa xenophobic crisis

0
Xenophobic attacks on Ghanaian
Xenophobic attacks on Ghanaian

Leadership of some African business associations have began the process of peace-building in the face of xenophobic attacks that left at least six dead and scores wounded in South Africa. wpid-Xenophobic-attacks-on-Ghanaiansopt.jpg
They believe, other Africans need not retaliate the inhuman treatments being meted out to their nationals in South Africa, because the attacks were by some misguided persons in the South African society.
Prosper Ladislas Agbesi, President of the Pan African Business Forum (PBF), told journalists here on Saturday that efforts were underway to engage the South African government and other interest groups on how best to bring the violence under control.
According to him, the unfolding events in South Africa, the second largest economy on the continent was alien to the continent.
“We say NO to xenophobia: Xenophobia cannot be African and a true African cannot be xenophobic,” Agbesi stressed.
Agbesi, who himself lives in South Africa, argued that the African migrants living in that country were contributing immensely to the growth of that economy.
“South Africa would not have been the center for continental trade today, but for the influence of the immigrants. The retail sector is expanding because of the large volume of continental customers arriving daily,” the business leader stated.
He also urged the South Africans to understand that a young democracy as they had could not possess all the critical skills needed for nation building.
The businessman believed there was the need to take decisive action to end the attacks on foreigners, since the continued insecure environment is not conducive to the growth of business.
“The xenophobic acts by some of our uninformed brothers and sisters in South Africa is a threat to existence and self- existence of our beloved continent, and must be condemned in unequivocal manner, as it is unacceptable, inhuman and shameful,” Agbesi stated.
The business executive however believed there was no need for countries to evacuate their nationals in South Africa, since the situation would come under control.
The current situation notwithstanding, Vice President of the forum, Oscar Sam Ugoh said Africa is not at war, but stands united.
According to him, the continent had been doing well economically over the last two decades, but there were internal issues within some countries which must be settled internally.
Ghana’s foreign minister, Hanna Serwah Tetteh, said here on Friday that the government was on the alert monitoring the situation in South Africa.
She gave the assurance that government would not hesitate to evacuate Ghanaians should the need arise.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Lulama Xingwana has said that the Ghanaian, Emmanuel Quarcoo, who was said to have been killed by the hoodlums, actually died of natural causes, unrelated to the violence. Enditem

Source: Xinhua

Send your news stories to [email protected] Follow News Ghana on Google News

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here