The South African government has rejected Nigeria’s plan to seek compensation for properties abandoned by Nigerians fleeing recent xenophobic attacks, insisting that legally-acquired assets remain protected under South African law and do not warrant government compensation.
Speaking during a press briefing on Friday, South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said Nigerians who legally own property in the country remain free to dispose of such assets through the normal property market.
“If you own a property in South Africa, those who leave their properties, if they are properly legally registered in the country, they can dispose of the properties in the property market in South Africa, whether it’s movable or immovable property,” she said.
Ntshavheni explained that ownership of property, businesses and vehicles in South Africa is formally documented, making compensation by the government unnecessary for legally registered assets.
“If you own a property in South Africa, it’s registered. If it’s a house, it’s registered with the Deeds Register. If you own a car, it’s registered in the NATIS system. If you own a business, it’s registered with the CIPC,” she said.
The minister also ruled out compensation for structures in informal settlements, saying such structures are illegal under South African law.
“Informal squatter camps and settlements are never properties because they are illegal in the country. So you are already violating our law if you tell us about a shack in an informal settlement. So there is no compensation that will come from government,” she said.
However, Ntshavheni sparked controversy by calling on Nigeria to identify locations allegedly used for drug-related activities by Nigerians in South Africa.
“We’ll be interested to know where the drug dens of Nigerians are so they can show us where they’ve been holding the drugs so that we can clean the drugs in South Africa quite urgently,” she said.
Her remarks came days after Nigeria announced plans to pursue compensation for citizens who abandoned businesses and properties while escaping anti-migrant violence in South Africa.
Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Temitope Ajayi, disclosed during an interview on Channels Television on July 1 that affected Nigerians had been directed to compile detailed records of businesses, vehicles and other movable and immovable properties left behind.
“In terms of the businesses, just three days ago, myself and the South African deputy minister of foreign affairs were together, and we were discussing this,” Ajayi said.
“I took up the discussion with her, and we have agreed that we are going to ask our people who are returning to begin to document what they are leaving behind.”
He said returnees had also been instructed to accurately record the locations and details of abandoned assets before departing South Africa to support Nigeria’s engagement with the South African government.
“I have asked them before they left yesterday to document very accurately those things they were leaving behind in terms of businesses, in terms of even cars, movable and immovable properties.
“…We are going to work with the South African government to get to the exact locations of all these businesses, shops and properties and present them to the South African government for possible compensation because we will not allow the labour people have suffered to build over the years to just go down the drain or be taken over by people,” Ajayi said.
The Federal Government has so far evacuated more than 850 Nigerians from South Africa in four batches following the outbreak of xenophobic attacks. Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Nigeria remains committed to ensuring the safe return of affected citizens while continuing diplomatic engagement with South African authorities over the crisis.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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