I supported ANC for 60 years and you chased away my grandchildren – Museveni reveals tense phone call with President Ramaphosa

President Yoweri Museveni has revealed details of a candid phone conversation with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying he accused South Africa of betraying Uganda and the rest of Africa by allowing xenophobic attacks against fellow Africans.

Museveni made the remarks on Sunday while meeting Ugandans repatriated from South Africa at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi, where they have been undergoing counselling, orientation and rehabilitation after fleeing the violence.

The President said he told Ramaphosa that branding fellow Africans as "foreigners" was wrong, especially given the role many African countries played in supporting the African National Congress (ANC) during the struggle against apartheid.

He said he believes those behind the attacks are political opponents seeking to damage the ANC's standing across Africa rather than representing the values of South Africans as a whole.

Museveni also directed the government to give each returning family Shs 2 million to help them rebuild their lives. He further urged the returnees to document all property and businesses they lost so that Uganda could pursue compensation with the South African government.

Below is Museveni's speech as delivered:

"Yesterday, I spoke with President Ramaphosa and told him I felt South Africa betrayed us. First of all Ugandans are not supposed to be in South Africa. It is not as conducive as it is here. But they are our people. But whether you went there out of ignorance or by mistake; they too are not right to call you 'xeno'.

I asked Ramaphosa, who exactly is xeno? Is it me you are calling xeno?

I researched the word xeno and they said it is a Greek word meaning alien.

The South Africans have put a curse on themselves. Who exactly is xeno? Is it me who supported you to go back to your country? Because there would be no South Africa under black rule without the support of Africa.

I have supported the ANC for 60 years. I therefore told Ramaphosa to try and wipe this curse off themselves.

I spoke with him on the phone yesterday and told him I was to meet with the 'refugees' that you chased away. What am I to say to them?

But from what he told me, it seems that they have political problems there. It appears that the people behind this xenophobic campaign are enemies of ANC who wish for the party to lose its reputation around Africa.

I supported the ANC for 60 years, not just in words, but also with material help, and yet you call my grandchildren xeno?

They can claim that you went there without following the law; that is a different thing; but calling you xeno…that is the language of the enemy.

Here in Uganda we have so many people from other African countries; I never want to hear anyone calling them xeno.

I told President Ramaphosa to rectify this because it is dangerous.

I spent 8 years in Tanzania in exile. The people of Tanzania treated us well. When I came back I told Ugandans that Tanzanians are our brothers. I brought back a good report about them. That is why any Tanzanian that comes here feels at home. If I had brought back a bad report; there would be enmity today between Tanzania and Uganda.

Therefore, treating well Africans who come here is Godly, but also very calculative.

Take the example of South Sudanese. They started coming here in 1955. I saw some of them in 1961 as students at Ntare School, those who fled from South Sudan. Even their former president John Garang was a student here.

But when you see the business between Uganda and South Sudan today, it is immense.

What we did by treating them well was godly and strategic.

I told President Ramaphosa that his country had just walked into a trap of the enemies of Africa because that is exactly what they want. If we also chase away the South Africans who are here, that is what the enemy wants, that we start fighting amongst each other.

South Africans run big businesses here like MTN.

But I agreed with President Ramaphosa that you should truthfully write down all the properties and businesses that were destroyed for compensation."