The National Assembly has suspended all official visits to South Africa and ordered lawmakers, committees and officials to boycott legislative engagements organised or hosted by South African authorities until further notice.
The directive was announced in a statement issued on Friday by the spokesman for the House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi, following renewed concerns over xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa.
“The Leadership of the National Assembly, led by H.E. Senator Godswill Akpabio, GCON, President of the Senate, and Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, PhD, GCON, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to communicate to all Distinguished Senators, Honourable Members, Committees, departments, directorates, officials and staff the decision of the National Assembly to suspend all official visits to the Republic of South Africa and boycott South African-hosted or South African-organised legislative activities and engagements until further notice,” the statement read.
The decision followed reports of continued violence, intimidation, xenophobic attacks and destruction of property involving Nigerians and other foreign nationals residing in South Africa.
The National Assembly expressed particular concern over reports that Nigerians had been killed or injured, while others were allegedly displaced and forced to abandon their businesses, investments, homes and other properties.
“Of particular concern to the National Assembly is the persistence of these incidents despite repeated appeals by the Federal Government of Nigeria and other stakeholders to the South African authorities to take decisive measures to protect Nigerians and other foreign nationals and bring perpetrators of xenophobic violence to justice,” he stated.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, said the directive followed consultations between the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Under the directive, lawmakers, committees, officials and staff are barred from official visits to South Africa. The suspension also covers conferences, seminars, workshops, meetings, parliamentary exchanges and other legislative engagements organised, hosted, sponsored or co-sponsored by South African legislative authorities.
The restriction extends to both physical and virtual engagements, meaning National Assembly personnel cannot participate in online programmes hosted by South African legislative institutions without approval.
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The statement read, “For clarity and strict compliance, the directive provides as follows:
“a. All official visits to the Republic of South Africa by the National Assembly, its Committees, lawmakers, officials and staff are hereby suspended;
“b. All participation by the National Assembly, its Committees, lawmakers, officials and staff in legislative activities, conferences, seminars, workshops, meetings, exchanges or other engagements organised, hosted, sponsored or co-sponsored by the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa or other South African legislative authorities is hereby suspended;
“c. The suspension shall apply to both physical and virtual/online engagements, including invitations to participate in meetings, programmes, parliamentary exchanges and other legislative activities hosted from or by South African legislative institutions;
“d. No official delegation, Committee, lawmaker, official or staff member of the National Assembly shall undertake or participate in any such engagement during the period of the suspension without the prior express approval of the Leadership of the National Assembly; and
“e. All existing arrangements, invitations or proposed programmes involving official visits or legislative engagements in South Africa shall be reviewed in accordance with this directive.”
The move comes after the National Assembly earlier in the year condemned renewed xenophobic attacks in South Africa and supported diplomatic efforts aimed at addressing violence against Nigerians.
The suspension will remain in effect until further notice, although the leadership of the National Assembly may review the directive depending on subsequent developments.
The legislature clarified that the measure was not intended to sever Nigeria’s longstanding diplomatic and people-to-people ties with South Africa.
“While parliamentary diplomacy and inter-legislative cooperation remain important, they must rest on mutual respect and a shared commitment to protecting life, property and lawful enterprise,” the statement noted.