South African Delegation In Kigali Over Xenophobic Attacks On Foreigners
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South African Presidential Special Envoys on Friday met with President Paul Kagame in Kigali, on the latest leg of their African tour.
Led by Jeff Radebe, a former minister and close confidante of SA President Cyril Ramaphosa, the team was dispatched to specific countries to assure them that SA is committed to addressing xenophobic attacks which erupted in the Gauteng province in August and September.
Originally, the continental tour was to visit the Presidents of Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, the DR Congo and Zambia.
Rwanda was not on the schedule and no Rwandan has been reported killed in the violence which affected mainly west Africans specifically Nigerians, and Congolese.
However, South Africa has a vocal Rwandan diaspora, and also where ex-army chief Gen Kayumba Nyamwasa is based with his Rwanda National Congress (RNC), a dissident outfit which wants to oust Kagame.
Nyamwasa even has rebel force called “P5” based in South Kivu province of DRC.
This Friday evening, Village Urugwiro, President Kagame’s office, released photos of Kagame’s meeting with Special Envoy Radebe.
No other detail was given.
Special Envoy Radebe has already met with Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari; President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo and Senegal’s President, Macky Sall since the tour started on September 14, 2019.
Meanwhile, President Ramaphoza and Jeff Radebe are key allies, which does not rule out a possibility of Radebe delivering a message beyond the xenophobic attacks.
Both men are married in the same family. Radebe’s wife Bridgette Radebe is the sister of businessman Patrice Motsepe.
Motsepe is one of the richest people in South with an estimate fortune of $2bn, according to Forbes.
First Lady Dr Tshepo Motsepe is also sister to the mining magnet.
The three-person SA Presidential team also includes Ambassador Kingsley Mmabolo and Dr Khulu Mbatha, a veteran of the ruling party, the African National Congress.
The Kigali meeting was attended by Rwanda’s Foreign Ministry State Minister in charge of East African Affairs, Amb Olivier Nduhungirehe, who is currently the defacto foreign minister as his boss Dr Richard Sezibera recovers from reported illness since July 14.
