Xenophobic attacks: Efforts towards repatriation on course – Minister 

…says retaliatory measures against Johannesburg not foreclosed 

…dismisses claim of illegal immigrants 

Ahead of the June 30 deadline threat given by South African nationals against Nigerians and other migrants, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu has said efforts were in top gear for the seamless repatriation of Nigerians at the receiving end of xenophobic attacks in Johannesburg.

She gave the assurance on Monday while speaking with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa.

The foreign affairs minister, who acknowledged that the number of Nigerians anxious to leave South Africa is increasing by the day, said the documentation of Nigerians has since commenced.

She said, “It wasn’t actually supposed to have started today. It’s just that we were supposed to have rounded up the formalities today. The repatriation is on course.

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“Mr. President himself has reiterated the fact that the aircraft must come to South Africa, and our citizens who are imperiled will have the chance of getting on this aircraft to be brought back to their country.

“The figures keep increasing. There are several processes, as you know, that have to be undertaken by South African Homeland Security. We then ensure that we screen our citizens who want to return. They also are part of the screening process, and once the citizens are cleared, they are given a paper that indicates that they are free to go, essentially. So, once this situation started getting worse, the President directed that a crisis response unit be immediately set up within our consulate and also the Nigerian mission in Pretoria. 

“So, as things are, we have people in different provinces, we also have people who need to be assisted to get to the Nigerian consulate in Johannesburg, so we’re in the process of all that, but the documentation, which is the most important aspect of this, has started.”

Reacting to allegations that Nigerians being targeted by South African nationals are illegal migrants, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu dismissed the claim as unfounded as she insisted that Nigerians citizens doing legitimate businesses are being hounded.

“That is absolutely untrue. Citizens are being harassed, their properties are being looted, criminal actions are perpetuated on our citizens. The police refuse to do anything. “The South African government has not come out strongly, firmly enough to condemn these incidents. So, our citizens are imperilled, they are in distress, so they cannot be said to be illegal migrants. “People who are doing legitimate business have their shops looted, they have their shops set on fire, children cannot go to school because they are intimidated in their schools. So, to say that Nigerians who are in South Africa doing legitimate business are illegal migrants is absolutely untrue.”

The foreign affairs minister, who maintained that  “Nigeria is not happy having sacrificed much for the South African struggle for independence,” also said retaliatory measures are not foreclosed but noted that it is a decision that has to be taken at the highest level of government.

“Well, that is a situation that we are considering. This is up to our legislature. This is up to the highest. This is a decision that has to be taken at the highest level of government, but it’s not off the table.”