South Africa denies claims that Nigerians killed in wave of anti-immigrant violence

South Africa has refuted claims that Nigerian nationals were killed in the recent wave of anti-immigrant violence, with Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, calling the reports entirely unsubstantiated. Lamola also clarified that South African police are investigating the deaths of two Mozambican nationals, a lower figure than the five initially reported by Maputo. The statements came in response to Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who accused Pretoria of lacking the political will to stop the recurring crisis and filed a formal complaint against South Africa at the African Union.
In response, Lamola stated that South Africa would vigorously defend itself against any baseless lawsuits from Ghana, reiterating that the majority of recently repatriated Ghanaians were undocumented. Amid the ongoing tensions, Nigeria is preparing to repatriate its citizens, with over 1,000 Nigerians already screened for voluntary evacuation by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM). This follows a call from the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights urging South Africa to implement concrete measures to ensure accountability and prevent further violence.
Credit – CGTN