Envoy urges locals in Mthatha to embrace Pakistani traders
‘They are here to assist in creating jobs,’ says High Commissioner
THE Pakistan High Commissioner to South Africa, Dr Sohail Khan has urged local citizens to embrace his fellow countrymen and women, saying they brought skills that could help in developing the country.
“Please accept them as brothers and sisters,” he pleaded with South Africans.
“They are highly informed and highly knowledgeable, particularly in the field of agriculture. They are here to assist in creating jobs for local people. Accommodate them, as they can play a role in the development of South Africa.”
Khan, who has been in Pretoria for six months, was speaking during his first visit to Mthatha, where there are about 5 000 Pakistani nationals.
On Friday, he met King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality mayor Dumani Zozo to discuss the safety of Pakistani nationals in Mthatha and its surrounds.
Yesterday, he met ANC MP and Mvezo chief Mandla Mandela, former president Nelson Mandela’s eldest grandson.
On Saturday, he spent the evening with Pakistani people at the Nelson Mandela Central Hospital’s health resource centre.
The Daily Dispatch reported in 2014 that several shops in Mthatha, mostly owned by Pakistani nationals, had been looted by a group of people claiming to be acting in the interests of locals employed by foreign-owned businesses in the town.
The mob accused foreign employers in Mthatha of exploiting the locals working in their shops by paying them meagre salaries.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Saturday event, Khan said he was impressed with the amount of vacant land around Mthatha.
He dismissed notions that his countrymen were depriving local people of business opportunities, saying they were only here to help.
As such, he urged bona fide Mthatha residents to embrace the help from his countrymen.
“Mthatha has lots of land but people do not know how to farm. We [Pakistanis] can educate them on how to develop it.”
He said a number of Pakistani men had married local women but their children faced difficulties when they wanted to visit Pakistan. This was mainly due to delays in the granting of their visas.
Muhammad Saleem Nazar, who has been in Mthatha for a decade and runs several stores in the town, said that he employed around 300 local people.
He said crime was a worldwide phenomenon and not limited to Mthatha, and applauded the local police for being on hand to help Pakistani nationals.
He said he was impressed with the treatment they received from locals. —