South African Envoy Says It Remains Indebted to Nigeria, Pledges Action on Xenophobic Attacks

The Federal Government has renewed its call on South Africa to take stronger measures against the recurring attacks on Nigerians living in the country, as Pretoria reaffirmed its appreciation for Nigeria’s historic role in the struggle against apartheid.

The appeal was made on Monday during a meeting in Abuja between Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, and South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola.

Lamola disclosed that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had sent him to deliver a special message to President Bola Tinubu. Although President Tinubu delegated the meeting to Enikanolaiye, discussions centred largely on concerns over repeated xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa.

Reiterating the strong relationship between both countries, Lamola acknowledged Nigeria’s significant contribution to South Africa’s liberation struggle.

“We remain deeply indebted to the people of Nigeria for their sacrifice,” Lamola said.

He emphasised that the South African government remains committed to fighting xenophobia, racism, discrimination, homophobia and all forms of intolerance.

However, Lamola maintained that South Africa has a sovereign responsibility to enforce its immigration laws and tackle crimes such as drug trafficking, cyber fraud and illegal migration.

According to him, migration is a continental issue that requires collective solutions under the African Union’s framework for orderly and regular migration.

“We believe that Nigeria and South Africa have a shared responsibility to respond to these challenges within the African continent,” he said.

Lamola added that the contents of President Ramaphosa’s message to President Tinubu would be discussed during a private session.

In his response, Enikanolaiye said President Tinubu specifically directed that the meeting should address the recurring attacks on Nigerians, warning that such incidents threaten the long-standing relationship between Africa’s two largest economies.

The minister urged South African authorities to take decisive action to stop what he described as recurring Afrophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals.

He disclosed that official records show 98 Nigerians have been killed in mob and hate-related attacks in South Africa since 2022, while five Nigerians have reportedly lost their lives this year alone.

According to Enikanolaiye, some Nigerians recently repatriated from South Africa claimed the actual number of victims could be even higher.

He stressed that while Nigeria does not condone criminal activities, anyone accused of committing crimes should face prosecution through lawful judicial procedures rather than mob justice.

“Nigeria will not support drug traffickers or any criminal activity, but those accused of crimes must be treated in accordance with the rule of law, South Africa’s Constitution and international human rights standards,” he said.

The minister also questioned why security agencies allegedly failed to intervene during several of the attacks, noting that many of the victims were legally residing in South Africa when they were targeted.

Enikanolaiye further revealed that nearly 1,500 Nigerians have been repatriated from South Africa this year, describing the humanitarian consequences as heartbreaking.

“I shed tears when I received the first batch of evacuees. I saw children, women and the elderly returning home with almost nothing after their properties had been looted and destroyed. That is not the Africa we want,” Enikanolaiye said.

He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to maintaining strong diplomatic ties with South Africa, expressing confidence that continued dialogue between both nations would strengthen cooperation, rebuild trust and advance the vision of African unity.