South Africa: Govt Pursues Compensation Over South Africa Attacks

Lead

The Nigerian government is pursuing compensation for citizens affected by recent attacks in South Africa while strengthening diplomatic efforts to prevent further violence, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye, said on Tuesday after briefing President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Enikanolaiye said the briefing followed Tinubu's directive to receive South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's special envoy and foreign minister, Ronald Lamola. He updated the president on commitments secured from South Africa, including activating an early warning mechanism and the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission.

The minister also briefed Tinubu on the evacuation of about 1,490 Nigerians from South Africa following the attacks. "I thanked him for making the resources available. I also told him that two of the evacuation batches were funded by private individuals," he said. The government has successfully evacuated many citizens, but some Nigerians still wish to return home, and the government is exploring additional funding options to support further evacuation operations.

Coverage Comparison

Two reports from AllAfrica provide the basis for this article. One focuses on the government's compensation and diplomatic efforts, quoting the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. The other details President Tinubu's refusal to receive a South African special envoy, citing the killing of a Nigerian national and South Africa's failure to ratify a key agreement. Both reports describe the attacks as xenophobic or Afrophobic, though they differ in emphasis: one highlights the government's proactive measures, the other the diplomatic tension.

Key Claims

The Nigerian government is pursuing compensation for citizens affected by attacks in South Africa. A data collection process has been introduced for Nigerians who lost property during the attacks. "We have designed a form to be filled by all Nigerians who may have lost property in South Africa. We want to proceed on the basis of data and the quantum of loss," Enikanolaiye said.

The government has evacuated about 1,490 Nigerians from South Africa following the attacks. Two of the evacuation batches were funded by private individuals, and additional funding is being sought for further operations.

President Tinubu declined to receive a special envoy dispatched by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The South African delegation, led by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola, arrived in Abuja on Friday, July 24, with a "very important message" for the Nigerian leader, according to sources familiar with the matter. Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, advised the Presidency that it was not an appropriate time for Tinubu to receive the envoy, citing continued attacks on Nigerians and insisting that South Africa must show concrete commitments, including a signed copy of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Early Warning Mechanism, which both countries signed in Abuja on October 22 last year. South Africa has reportedly failed to ratify the agreement.

The reported killing of Nigerian national Chika Ibe by South African police has heightened tensions. Ibe was allegedly picked up from his residence in Bellville, Cape Town, and tortured to death by personnel of the South African Police Service, according to footage obtained by Vanguard from the Nigerian community in South Africa. The South African authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

President Tinubu agreed that the attacks are "Afrophobic" rather than merely xenophobic, urging African countries to confront the trend collectively. "The President agreed with me that it is Afrophobic and that Africa must unite in ensuring that we put an end to this spiral of violence," Enikanolaiye said. Tinubu's cordial relationship with Ramaphosa will be leveraged to strengthen diplomatic engagement aimed at ending the attacks.

Nigeria has maintained a firm stance against xenophobic attacks in South Africa, with the government emphasizing the need for concrete commitments from Pretoria before further diplomatic engagement.