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President Bola Tinubu declined to personally receive a special delegation sent by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over the recent xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa. Instead, the President directed the delegation, led by South African Minister of International Relations Ronald Lamola, to meet with Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, to convey their message.
During the meeting, Enikanolaiye condemned the recurring attacks, describing them as unacceptable and inconsistent with the strong historical ties between Nigeria and South Africa. He expressed concern over reports that South African security agencies had failed to intervene promptly in some incidents, while reaffirming that Nigeria does not support criminal activities by its citizens abroad but insists that offenders should be prosecuted through lawful means rather than mob violence.
In response, Lamola reiterated South Africa’s commitment to combating xenophobia, racism and discrimination, while assuring the Nigerian government that authorities would continue to protect all law-abiding residents regardless of nationality. The diplomatic engagement comes amid heightened tensions following renewed attacks that have led to the evacuation of hundreds of Nigerians from South Africa and strained relations between Africa’s two largest economies.
