The federal government has said it would seek from its South African counterpart compensation for Nigerians forced to abandon businesses and other valuable properties as they returned home, following renewed anti-immigrant tensions in the country.
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This came as 269 more Nigerians arrived Lagos in the third government’s evacuation flight, thus bringing the total number so far evacuated to 603.
This comprises the 268 airlifted by Air Peace on June 11 in the first batch; 66 evacuated by ValueJet on July 25 in the second batch; and the 268 brought home yesterday by Air Peace.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief as the evacuees touched down in Lagos yesterday, Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Temitope Ajayi, said government had already begun compiling records of businesses and properties left behind by returnees.
He added that the information will form the basis of discussions with the South African authorities on possible compensation.
The envoy said: “In terms of the businesses, just three days ago, myself and the South African Deputy Minister of Finance were together and we were discussing this.
‘’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, and that was the message yesterday (Monday, June 29) before this set that is due to land in Lagos.
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“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 can now take it up with the South African government. That is the next step we are going to take.
“So, this repatriation will not end with just taking people to Nigeria; we are going to systematically follow up on the information given to us, and I told them to be very accurate with what they are going to give because 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.’’
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He reiterated his earlier stance that majority of Nigerians living in South Africa were legal residents, saying most of them entered the country through legal immigration channels.
According to him, delays in the processing of immigration documents by South Africa’s Home Office have left many foreign nationals stranded, despite having initially migrated legally.
“In the last three or four years, there have been a deluge of applications at the South African Home Office which were not attended to due to systemic issues.
‘’So, because of this, many, not only Nigerian nationals, were caught in this web of delay, so you cannot rightly claim that these were undocumented because most of them came to the country legally in terms of how somebody should migrate.
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“So, it is on the basis of now wanting to renew their papers that they were caught up in the unnecessary delays. So, when people try to say they were undocumented, I quite disagree with that because some of them, based on experience, have had their papers lag behind at the Home Office for years”.
269 arrive Lagos in third govt evacuation flight
The latest evacuation of 269 Nigerians formed part of the five Air Peace flights approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to bring home Nigerians affected by the renewed xenophobic tensions in South Africa.
The approval followed the screening and clearance of more than 1,000 Nigerians by the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria.
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The latest returnees were received by senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by the Director of African Affairs Department, Ambassador Haruna Ali Gombe, who conveyed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s greetings and reassured them of the federal government’s commitment to the safety and welfare of Nigerians living abroad.
In a statement yesterday, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kimiebi Ebienfa, assured that the evacuation process would continued beyond June 30, adding that the federal government would continue to engage Pretoria to ensure the protection of Nigerians in the country.
He said: “With the June 30 deadline on undocumented foreigners to leave South Africa, the federal government wishes to reiterate the fact that the evacuation process is still on course and more flights are expected in the country in the next few days to evacuate all Nigerians that have been screened and cleared to voluntarily return to the country.
“Government will continue to engage South African authorities at the highest levels to ensure the protection of Nigerian nationals living in the country.”
while urging Nigerians still awaiting evacuation to remain calm and security conscious, Ebienfa said: “Be calm and security conscious. Avoid routes and areas dominated by protesters. Always be in contact with the Nigerian High Commission for necessary updates.”
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Nigerians in SA say protest largely peaceful
However, Nigerians on ground in South Africa yesterday said the June 30 protests had remained largely peaceful due to heavy security deployment.
Pretoria had, meanwhile, launched one of its largest domestic security operations in recent years, deploying 13,000 law enforcement officers, drones, helicopters and more than 33,000 CCTV cameras across Gauteng Province, as authorities seek to prevent a repeat of the deadly unrest that crippled Africa’s most industrialised economy in 2021.
The operation, which Acting Police , Firoz Cachalia, said would cost about R600 million ($35.5 million), comes amid mounting concerns that protests organised by anti-illegal immigration group March and March could descend into violence despite government warnings that criminal acts will not be tolerated.
Businesses, freight operators and shopping centre owners have also stepped up contingency plans ahead of the demonstrations, fearing disruptions in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, the country’s three biggest economic regions.
A Nigerian residing in Johannesburg, who simply identified himself as Madueke, told Vanguard that protesters were marching as planned, adding that the entire country was on standstill.
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He noted that businesses were shut down, while people stayed indoors due to the anti-immigrant protests and fear of attacks.
He, however, said the presence of security personnel, including the military, kept the situation calm.
“They are marching and singing, but they are not destroying things as it’s usually the case because the government deployed the army to follow the protesters and ensure there is no destruction of properties and killing. So, you have the military following the protesters anywhere they go.
“Their target was just to loot the shops, especially that of people that sell foodstuffs, but the deployment of security agents has foiled their plan,” he said.
Madueke stated further that parts of Johannesburg dominated by whites remained peaceful, saying residents there “would waste no time in shooting and eliminating any threat.”
He appealed to the Federal Government to deploy more evacuation flights, noting that thousands of Nigerians were willing to return home and were currently camping at the Nigeria High Commission in Pretoria.
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He added: “The government should bring more flights to take people back to Nigeria. Thousands of people are ready to go. The five flights they assigned can only take about one thousand people whereas many people are stranded and are willing to leave this country.
‘’Malawians are leaving, Zimbabweans are leaving, everybody is leaving, they should bring more flights and take people home.’’
Another Nigerian, Ezeanozie Eleberi, who is the National Secretary of Igbo Union South Africa, also confirmed to Vanguard that though protesters hit the streets as planned, the situation remained calm.
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“Cool and calm,” Eleberi responded when Vanguard reached out to him.
“Government has warned of serious consequences should anything go wrong,” he said.
They can’t force us out — Igbo Union
Continuing, Eleberi declared that many Nigerians in the country have legal businesses, families and deep economic roots, and, therefore “cannot be forced out” by the June 30 anti-immigrant protests.
“For the records, the Nigerians voluntarily seeking to be repatriated are about 1,500 max. Many more are legal here, have lives, businesses and families here, have contributed significantly to the South African economy, so they are not moving,’’ he told Vanguard.
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Speaking further, he said South Africa does not belong to Jacinta, Ngizwe and Phakela, referencing the leaders of anti-immigrants groups.
‘’They didn’t bring us here and they can’t chase us out. They are not the government or law enforcement or immigration. They are just civilians trying to fight a perceived illegality with worse illegalities!” he added.
On the welfare of Nigeria nationals amid the protests, the union leader said Nigerians had largely had to keep themselves safe because they were spread across the country, unlike Malawians and Zimbabweans who were camped by their governments.
“However, once screening began, some have been sheltered at the High Commission in Pretoria, while many good Samaritans stepped in with accommodation, but unfortunately, many have still been left stranded on their own, facing serious hardship and danger,” he said.
He noted that the Igbo Union had been working with other Nigerian associations and the Consulate to provide emergency materials, including food and water, to stranded nationals within reach, as well as warning them each time danger loomed.
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“Camping our nationals in open fields was never an option for us. Either you are protected within our diplomatic missions, or you find a safe place to manage while awaiting repatriation,” he stated.
Assessing the risk of escalation, Eleberi said while President Cyril Ramaphosa had called for peaceful protests, “the section of Afrophobic South Africans are doing another thing. They are out of control and destroying South Africa’s good name globally.”
He urged Nigerians who remained in the country beyond June 30 to “stay calm, alert and safe. Stay away from crime and criminals. Do not engage anti-foreigner protesters. Continue being law-abiding. All these will pass but we need to pray for the continuous cycle of xenophobia to end!”
On South Africa’s claim that Nigerians repatriated so far had no valid papers, he blamed the South African Home Affairs system.
“Many Nigerians are undocumented due to Home Affairs refusing to process their applications to renew their permits. It is a known fact and a major problem. However, they turn around and call you ‘illegal’ which is unfair,” he said.
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He acknowledged some overstayed visas or those entered through wrong channels, but argued that the porousity of borders should be addressed.
‘’We want to hear much more about thousands of legal Nigerians here who are adding value and creating countless jobs for South Africans! We are not their problem. They and their system are their own problem!
“Due to the same broken system, many have given up and choose to go home, but not all, far from all,” Eleberi added.
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