At least 10 incidents recorded in South Africa during anti-immigrant protests — Nigeria’s acting high commissioner
South Africa has recorded at least 10 incidents this year linked to anti-immigrant protests that affected Nigerian citizens. Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Temitope Ajayi, said this in an interview with Premium Times Nigeria.
According to the diplomat, a large amount of property was destroyed during a protest on March 30, and another wave of demonstrations took place in April. Calls for protests were made in Johannesburg, the Eastern Cape province and other regions of the country. Ajayi noted that Nigerians who live and run businesses in remote areas are particularly vulnerable, as law enforcement agencies cannot respond quickly to incidents there.
Response of South African authorities
According to Ajayi, the Nigerian side does not consider the response of the South African authorities sufficient. He said that there were no arrests for a long time after violent crimes, and that consultations and meetings with stakeholders cannot replace investigations and holding those responsible accountable.
The diplomat also mentioned the deaths of Nigerians following raids by law enforcement officers, stressing that he does not directly link all such cases to the protests. According to him, some operations were conducted after reports of suspected drug trafficking, while official explanations citing heart attacks or sudden deterioration in health, in his view, did not always fully describe the circumstances.
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Voluntary return to Nigeria
The Nigerian federal government funded five Air Peace charter flights for the voluntary return of its citizens from South Africa. According to Ajayi, more than 1,490 people were transported to Nigeria on these flights, while about 1,600 Nigerians returned when assistance from organizations and private individuals is included.
Ajayi noted that not all returnees were undocumented migrants. According to him, some people entered South Africa legally but later became undocumented because of lengthy processing of permits in the country’s migration system. Some of those who returned left businesses, homes, cars and shops in South Africa.
According to the diplomat, Nigerian authorities are calling for no retaliatory attacks on South African businesses in Nigeria and advocate de-escalation. Among the measures to improve relations between communities, Ajayi named cultural exchanges and dialogues between Nigerian and local South African communities.
