Nigeria warns South Africa over wave of anti-foreigner violence

Nigeria has threatened “definitive”action to protect its citizens in South Africa following a wave of attacks on foreigners and foreign-owned businesses in the country. The warning raises tensions between Africa’s two largest economies just as dignitaries from across the continent gather in Cape Town for an international conference.

“The continuing attacks on Nigerian nationals and businesses in South Africa are unacceptable,” Abuja said in a statement on Monday night. “Enough is enough. Nigeria will take definitive measures to ensure [the] safety and protection of her citizens.”

The statement followed two days of unrest in Johannesburg, where authorities on Monday arrested dozens of people for looting foreign-owned shops and torching buildings and vehicles. The violence followed a similar incident in the capital Pretoria last week.

South African truck drivers also blocked roads and threatened violence this week in a wildcat strike against foreign counterparts.

On Tuesday, Nigeria’s foreign minister summoned the South African high commissioner to discuss the attacks.

Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s president, also raised the matter with Cyril Ramaphosa, his South African counterpart, at a conference in Japan last week and would continue talks during an official visit to South Africa in October, the Nigerian government said.

Zambia and Zimbabwe this week also warned their citizens in South Africa to take extra precautions amid the violence.

The growing tension threatens the strong business ties between Nigeria and South Africa. Thousands of Nigerian traders and small businesses operate in South Africa, while Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is one of the most important markets for many South African companies.

A number of Nigerian civil society groups have called for a boycott of big South African companies with operations in the country, including telecoms group MTN, satellite TV provider MultiChoice and grocery store Shoprite.

Ferdi Moolman, chief executive of MTN Nigeria, which accounts for roughly a quarter of the group’s global revenues, on Tuesday said the company “strongly condemns hate, prejudice and xenophobia”.

By Tuesday, relative calm had returned to Johannesburg’s downtown, the site of some of the violence, but many businesses remained closed.

The headquarters of the Casual Workers Advice Office, a non-profit organisation that represents casual labourers, was among the premises looted. “A wave of violence is sweeping over South Africa, targeting first of all women and people perceived as foreigners,” the group said.

South Africa has also been hit by the killing of several young women in recent days, including the rape and killing of a 19 year-old student at a post office.

The unrest will embarrass Mr Ramaphosa ahead of a World Economic Forum meeting in Cape Town this week, which Yemi Osinbajo, the Nigerian vice-president, is expected to attend.

Mr Ramaphosa has broken his silence on Tuesday, saying: “We want this to stop, and I want it to stop immediately . . . whatever concerns or grievances we may have, we need to handle them in a democratic way. There can be no justification for any South African to attack people from other countries.”

South Africa’s impoverished townships and inner-city tenements have seen previous outbreaks of xenophobic violence that killed several people in 2008 and 2015, when Nigeria recalled its ambassador in response.

Migrant workers are often blamed for the country’s unemployment rate of more than 29 per cent, which analysts say reflects structural obstacles confronting the black majority, including a failed education system.

Most migrants come to South Africa from Zimbabwe and other nearby countries but large communities of Nigerian traders run small businesses in many cities.

“Protests, violence and looting are often caused and exacerbated by vast inequality, joblessness and economic exclusion faced by millions across our country,” said Mmusi Maimane, leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance. “With over 10m South Africans unemployed and half the nation living below the poverty line, we have run out of ‘extra time’.”

However, both the DA and African National Congress have dabbled in populist rhetoric targeting foreigners in recent elections. In national polls earlier this year the DA campaigned on the message of “secure our borders”, while in 2017 an ANC minister said South African cities were becoming “80 per cent foreign national . . . we are surrendering our land” — remarks that were circulated again on social media this week.

Between 1m and 2m of South Africa’s 55m-strong population is estimated to be foreign born, according to survey data.