Xenophobia: FG Condemns Attacks, Tinubu Directs Minister to Meet South African Envoy

The Federal Government on Monday condemned the recurring xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa, calling on the South African government to take urgent and concrete measures to end the violence and ensure the protection of foreign nationals.

The development came as President Bola Tinubu declined to personally receive a special envoy from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, directing instead that the delegation meet with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye.

The South African delegation, led by the country’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, was expected to deliver a message from President Ramaphosa. Enikanolaiye is to brief Tinubu on the outcome of the discussions.

Presidency sources said the delegation arrived in Abuja on Friday but did not have a prior appointment with the President.

“They actually came here on Friday wanting to see the President. But there was no prior notice. We couldn’t just allow them to see the President without confirming his availability. On Monday, the President directed that they should meet the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, who would brief him afterwards,” one source said.

Another Presidency official confirmed that no meeting had been scheduled with Tinubu, while a third source said Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who is attending official engagements in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, advised that it was not the appropriate time for the President to receive the delegation while attacks on Nigerians and their businesses were still ongoing.

Receiving the delegation in Abuja, Enikanolaiye said Tinubu had mandated the meeting to explore ways of ending the attacks and preserving the longstanding strategic relationship between Nigeria and South Africa.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu asked us to meet with you and exchange views on how to address and resolve the ongoing Afrophobic attacks in South Africa, of which Nigerians and other African citizens have been victims,” he said.

The minister expressed disappointment over what he described as a recurring pattern of attacks stretching back more than three decades.

“We have seen a pattern emerge as early as 1995, 1998, 2006, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 and now 2026. From 2022 alone, 98 Nigerians have died in mob actions and hate-related attacks that we describe as Afrophobia because Africans, particularly Nigerians, are the predominant victims,” he said.

Enikanolaiye recalled Nigeria’s support for South Africa during the anti-apartheid struggle and the strategic partnership both countries later built through the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, stressing that the relationship should not be undermined by violence against African migrants.

While reaffirming that Nigeria does not condone criminality, he insisted that anyone accused of an offence should be prosecuted through the legal system rather than subjected to mob justice.

“The Nigerian government will not support drug peddlers, but anyone accused of an offence should be treated in accordance with your constitution, international human rights instruments and the minimum requirements of humanity,” he said.

He also expressed concern that many Nigerians legally resident in South Africa had become victims of attacks, alleging that security agencies had in some instances failed to intervene.

“We have records of Nigerians who have a legitimate purpose to remain in South Africa, yet they have been attacked. We have seen mob actions where the police appeared unable or unwilling to intervene. That raises issues of state responsibility and possible complicity,” he added.

The minister recalled the humanitarian consequences of previous attacks, noting that Nigeria had evacuated nearly 1,500 citizens from South Africa.

“I shed tears on the plane when I saw children, women and the elderly returning home with almost nothing. Some had their properties looted and destroyed,” he said.

The meeting followed a fresh wave of xenophobic violence that reportedly began in April, prompting the Federal Government to approve evacuation flights for stranded Nigerians, with more than 1,000 citizens registering for voluntary repatriation.

Responding, Lamola said President Ramaphosa had sent him to Abuja to reaffirm South Africa’s commitment to combating xenophobia, racism and all forms of intolerance.

“We have been outspoken against any intolerance, including xenophobia, racism, homophobia, violence and discrimination directed at individuals within our borders,” he said.

He, however, maintained that South Africa would continue to enforce its immigration laws and combat criminal activities.

“President Ramaphosa has also been firm on South Africa’s sovereign right to enforce immigration laws, including dealing decisively with irregular migration, undocumented immigrants and criminality within our borders,” Lamola added.

He described migration as a continental challenge requiring collective African action and expressed confidence that continued dialogue between Abuja and Pretoria would help ease the diplomatic tension.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated in recent weeks following renewed attacks on Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa. The House of Representatives has recommended the suspension of business permits for South African companies operating in Nigeria, while the Senate has dispatched a delegation to Pretoria to formally convey Nigeria’s concerns over the attacks.