The South African government has reaffirmed its gratitude to Nigeria for its role in the struggle against apartheid, while pledging to strengthen bilateral ties amid renewed concerns over xenophobic attacks against Nigerians living in the country.
The assurance was given on Monday when South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, met with Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, in Abuja.
Lamola said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had asked him to deliver a special message to President Bola Tinubu. Although Tinubu delegated the meeting to Enikanolaiye, discussions centred on the growing diplomatic concerns arising from attacks on Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa.
The South African minister described Nigeria’s contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle as historic, saying the sacrifices made by Nigerians would never be forgotten.
“We remain deeply indebted to the people of Nigeria for their sacrifice,” Lamola said.
He added that the South African government remained firmly opposed to xenophobia, racism, discrimination, homophobia and every form of intolerance.
While acknowledging concerns over attacks on foreign nationals, Lamola maintained that South Africa had a sovereign responsibility to enforce its immigration laws and tackle criminal activities, including drug trafficking, internet fraud and irregular migration.
According to him, migration has become a continental challenge requiring collective action under the African Union’s framework on 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 said the details of President Ramaphosa’s message to President Tinubu would be discussed during a closed-door meeting.
Responding, Enikanolaiye said President Tinubu directed the meeting to openly address the recurring attacks against Nigerians in South Africa, describing the issue as one that threatens the long-standing relationship between Africa’s two largest economies.
The minister urged the South African authorities to take decisive steps to halt what he described as recurring Afrophobic attacks targeting Nigerians and other African nationals.
According to him, official records indicate that 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. He noted that some Nigerians repatriated from South Africa claimed the actual figures could be higher.
Enikanolaiye stressed that Nigeria does not support criminality but insisted that suspects should be arrested, prosecuted and punished through lawful judicial processes rather than subjected to mob violence.
“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.
He also questioned why security agencies allegedly failed to intervene during several attacks, noting that many of the victims were legally resident in South Africa.
The minister said nearly 1,500 Nigerians had been repatriated from South Africa this year, describing the humanitarian situation 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 cordial relations with South Africa and expressed confidence that sustained dialogue would help restore trust, strengthen cooperation and uphold the ideals of African unity.
(The Sun)