Southern African leaders on Friday commiserated with Japan following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Abe was shot on Friday morning while delivering a campaign speech ahead of Sunday’s election for Japan’s upper house.
The 67-year-old was declared dead hours later following cardiac arrest, prompting an outpouring of grief and global condemnation.
President Cyril Ramaphosa described former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as a “close and special partner” for South Africa.
“On behalf of the government and people of South Africa, I offer my sincere condolences to Mr Abe’s family, friends and colleagues, as well as the government and people of Japan as a close and special partner to our nation,” Ramaphosa said.
He added: “The violence that claimed Prime Minister Abe’s life is a call on all of us to work for non-violence, peace and tolerance in all parts of the globe.”
Ramaphosa recalled his “warm and productive interactions” with Abe during his August 2015 visit to Japan as “we made significant progress in strengthening our bilateral relations, especially in the economic sphere, as well as South Africa’s cooperation with Japan in addressing issues on the global agenda.”
President Hage Geingob of Namibia said Abe “exuded the characteristics of friendship, solidarity and respect, which define the relationship between Namibia and Japan.”
“We therefore join the Japanese people, during this dark hour, in mourning a committed, respected and astute statesman, whose presence will be sorely missed both in Japan and the world at large,” Geingob said.
JN/APA