The National Assembly has suspended all official visits to South Africa and directed its members and officials to boycott legislative activities hosted or organized by South African authorities until further notice.
The decision was contained in a statement issued by the House of Representatives spokesman, Akin Rotimi, on Friday.
“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 of the National Assembly to communicate to all distinguished senators, honorable 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-organized legislative activities and engagements until further notice,” the statement read.
It followed concerns over reports of continued xenophobic attacks, violence, intimidation, and destruction of property targeting Nigerians and other African nationals living in South Africa.
According to the statement, the National Assembly was particularly concerned by reports of Nigerians being killed, injured, 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 decision followed consultations between the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The directive covers official visits by lawmakers, committees, officials, and staff of the National Assembly.
It also applies to conferences, seminars, workshops, meetings, parliamentary exchanges, and other legislative engagements organized, hosted, sponsored, or co-sponsored by South African legislative authorities.
The National Assembly said the suspension would cover both physical and virtual engagements.
However, the statement said no official delegation or member could participate in such engagements during the suspension without the prior express approval of the leadership of the National Assembly.
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 organized, hosted, sponsored, or co-sponsored by the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa or other South African legislative authorities is hereby suspended;
