Four Nigerians injured as South Africa boils again

Four Nigerians have reportedly sustained injuries in fresh xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

PUNCH quoted Adetola Olubajo, president of the Nigerian Union South Africa (NUSA), as confirming the attacks which took place at Witbank area of Mpumalanga province, on Tuesday.

“The Department of Home Affairs, which is like our own Ministry of Interior that deals with immigration and citizens’ issues, is in the (South African) parliament briefing the parliament on migration today,” he was quoted to have said.

“While that is going on, there is an attack on foreign nationals in Witbank area of Mpumalanga Province and there are some locations mainly in Extension 10, even the police commander there was giving a warning to foreign nationals to be careful.

“Though no death has been recorded so far, there has been loss of properties and people have been injured. At the last count, there were four of them injured and they are Nigerians.”

Olubajo, who expressed concern over the incident, disclosed that a Nigerian, whose shop was burnt, sought refuge at a police station.

“We are very saddened that, even after all the efforts of the two governments to forge ahead with good programmes and suggestions here and there, this kind of thing happened,” he said.

“It is so unfortunate because they have to go back to the drawing board or speed up the implementation of some of the mechanisms they agreed on.

“I am saddened because a Nigerian was also stabbed to death a few days ago in Empangeni and the culprits are still at large. And we believe that if there is no deterrent for some of the perpetrators of these crimes against Africans, Nigerians in particular, these things will continue to happen.”

A week ago, Ikenna Otugo, a Nigerian entrepreneur, was killed at Empangeni in the Kwazulu Natal province of South Africa.

At least 490 Nigerians fled South Africa in September as a result of xenophobia attacks (pictured). There were also reprisals in Nigeria, leading to the closure of the South African High Commission.

Earlier in the month, President Muhammadu Buhari visited President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and both countries renewed alliance and also sought measures of putting an end to attacks like the latest one.