S’Africa must punish perpetrators –ECOWAS

South African President Jacob Zuma

The Economic Community of West African States has demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of the xenophobic attacks on fellow Africans by South African mobs.

ECOWAS also demanded for action on the part of the South African government to halt the attacks.

The regional economic block equally offered to work with the government of South Africa to end the crisis.

Chairman of the ECOWAS Committee of Heads of Governments and President of Ghana, John Mahama, said this in Abuja on Tuesday.

Mahama was responding to questions from journalists after a closed-door meeting with President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, the event in South Africa is worrisome because of the specific circumstances of the country.

Mahama said, “I think that the young people of South Africa do not know what happened before they gained their freedom; the whole of this continent stood behind South Africa to fight against apartheid.

“I remember all of us who, growing up as secondary school children, went on marches and were part of the African Youth Command who boycotted classes and all that all in the fight against apartheid.

“Indeed, for several of the countries where their citizens were brutalised in South Africa, these are the countries that were called frontline states that harboured the freedom fighters of South Africa and gave them safe haven and gave them passports to be able to avoid the clutches of the apartheid regime.

“Nigeria, though not a neighbour of South Africa, was considered a frontline state because of the economic contribution that Nigeria made to be able to liberate South Africa from apartheid and so, it is regrettable that the same people who fought against apartheid are being attacked.”

The Ghanaian President also explained that the pictures about the heinous crime, which have been trending on social media, were horrible.

He said that ECOWAS had issued a statement condemning the act.

“As ECOWAS we have issued a statement condemning what is happening. The unfortunate thing is that this is not the first time.

“It keeps flaring up and so while we are condemning this incidence and we must work with the South African government to ensure that it won’t happen again. We are trying to create an integrated continent where our people can move freely amongst our countries, this has not set a very good example for integration, especially for South Africa that has investments all over the countries.”