South Africa reaffirms healthy relations with Nigeria

South African Government says it will continue to maintain mutually beneficial relations with Nigeria and never allow anything capable of straining the ties between them.

Mr Bobby Moroe, Acting High Commissioner of South Africa to Nigeria, said this in his address during a courtesy visit by Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of NiDCOM to the Commission on Tuesday in Abuja.

He expressed condolences to the family of the late Mrs Elizabeth Ndubuisi-Chukwu, saying that the commission would remain grateful that the deceased’s brother Dr Chiedu Ndubuisi was part of the visiting team.

He expressed appreciation to the leader of the delegation for the painstaking steps taken to unravel the main cause of her death.

Moroe said: “A lot has been done by the South African High Commission and law enforcement agencies in the country.

“On Sunday evening we received reports on the investigations and once the outcome has been obtained, a detailed report shall be provided.

“A video footage has been obtained from the Emperor’s Palace Casino Hotel and Convention Centre, Johannesburg where late Ndubuisi- Chukwu was and is being studied and we await security operatives to give us a feedback.

“It is a sensitive case and should be treated with greatest respect; we deliberated with the Chairman of NiDCOM on the need for us to work closely in other to make sure that issues such as these are discussed and find a common ground on how we can take steps on how we can work together to address issues such as this.

“We have agreed to take certain steps which cannot be revealed but we have held successful meetings which is the beginning of a new relationship on this matter and many others, we are very happy with the outcome.

“We reaffirm our relationship between both countries and will not allow anything come between us; the relationship between both countries did not just start in 1994 but in the days of apathy.”

Earlier, Dabiri-Erewa, said that Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) demand justice from South Africa in the unravelling of Ndubuisi-Chukwu ‘s death.

She said agreement between both countries was in the interest of not just Ndubuisi’s family, but Nigerians at large.

According to her, Nigerians count on you and believe that you will monitor the development and keep up with the updates.

“I am here with members of my team NIDCOM and Dr. Chiedu Ndubuisi, brother to Ndubuisi-Chukwu.

“President Muhammadu Buhari instructed that the life of every Nigerian matters and we employ you to ensure that the circumstance surrounding the death of Ndubuisi- Chukwu be unravelled.

“Eight Policemen in South Africa are currently on trial for their involvement in killings of Nigerians and our comission is monitoring the cases.

“We need to know what happened to Ndubuisi, how, why and when; we have been dealing with cases of Xenophobia and we are here to demand justice and appeal to you for cooperation to unravel her death,” she said.

On his part, Ndubuisi said that he wanted to hear from Moroe directly on the circumstances that surrounded the death of his sister.

”We thank the commissioner for receiving us and hope we get to the bottom of the issue, he said”.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students FCT Chapter, led by Mr Majid Kolawole, had carried out peaceful protest to the comission to call on the South African government to stop killings of Nigerians.

Ndubuisi-Chukwu was in South Africa to attend the Conference of the African Insurance Organisation (AIO).

She was reportedly found dead in her room at Emperor’s Palace Casino Hotel and Convention Centre, Johannesburg on June 13.