Sunday Ehigiator
South Africa has rejected Nigeria’s plan to seek compensation for properties abandoned by Nigerians fleeing recent xenophobic attacks, urging the federal government to reveal the drug dens of Nigerians to enable the South African government to clean up its country.
In rejecting the calls for compensation for Nigerian citizens, whose properties were left behind, following their evacuation from the country, the South African government insisted that only legally registered assets can be recognised.
The evacuations were triggered by renewed xenophobic violence against African migrants in South Africa.
Last week, the Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Alexander Temitope Ajayi, said the federal government would seek compensation for businesses and properties abandoned by Nigerians returning from South Africa under its voluntary evacuation programme.
Ajayi added that the government had already begun compiling records of businesses and properties left behind by returnees.
The envoy explained that returnees had been instructed to provide detailed information about their abandoned assets before departing South Africa.
He said the information would form the basis of discussions with the South African authorities on possible compensation.
Ajayi also rejected claims that most Nigerians living in South Africa were undocumented, insisting that the majority entered the country legally and only became affected by delays in the renewal of immigration documents.
But in a swift reaction, South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, rebuffed those possibilities of compensation in a press conference held on Friday.
According to a video of the briefing shared by Newzroom Afrika on X, Ntshavheni said that legally acquired properties in South Africa were properly documented and remained the property of their registered owners, who were free to sell them through the country’s property market.
The minister instead asked Nigeria to provide information on locations allegedly used for drug-related activities.
“We’ll be interested to know where the drug dens of Nigerians are. So, they can show us where they have been holding the drugs so that we can clean the drugs in South Africa quite urgently,” Ntshavheni said.
“Squatter camps and informal 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’s no compensation that will come from the government. Those who leave their properties—if they are properly registered in the country —can dispose of them on the property market in South Africa, whether movable or immovable. And we are going to appreciate being told where the drug dens are seriously.
“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.
She maintained that Nigerians who legally own property in South Africa could dispose of such assets rather than seek compensation from the government.
“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 added.
The minister, however, stirred controversy by suggesting that the South African government would be interested in identifying locations allegedly used for drug-related activities by Nigerians.
“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,” Ntshavheni said.
She also ruled out compensation for structures located in informal settlements, describing them as illegal under South African law.
The federal government has so far evacuated more than 850 Nigerians from South Africa in four batches following the outbreak of xenophobic attacks.