‘Nigerians in South Africa lost N84m to attacks’

The Nigerian Union in South Africa on Saturday said Nigerians lost more than 4.6 million Rand (N84 million) to xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Ikechukwu Anyene, president of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, told NAN on phone from Pretoria, South Africa, that the losses were initially put at 1.2 million Rand ( N21 million).

‘”The Nigerian Union in South Africa has completed documentation of the losses suffered by Nigerians to xenophobic attacks,” he said.

“Nigerians lost more than 4.6 million Rand or N84 million during the attacks. A mechanic workshop owned by a Nigerian in Jeppes, near Johannesburg, for example was completely burnt with 11 cars inside it. The loss is put at more than one million Rand or N20 million.”

Anyene said the union had compiled the losses and given the list to Nigeria’s consul-general to South Africa. He added that Nigerian victims of the attacks needed urgent assistance to re-settle because many of them had lost their means of livelihood.

“The consul-general has travelled to Nigeria and we appeal to the federal government to do something urgent to assist Nigerians affected by the attacks. We have made representations to the federal government,” he said.

“We are also hoping that working with the South African government, there will be a way to compensate the affected Nigerians so as to enable them go back to their normal lives. The tension is less now. The South African government has come out in full force to check the attacks.”

Anyene said the losses suffered by Nigerians were in the form of vandalised mechanic workshops, burnt mechanic workshops, looted shops as well as stolen and burnt cars.

“More than 50 Nigerians were displaced during the attacks. The Union has assisted them to return home.

“The Union is also planning to assist a family to move to a new accommodation because the present home is not safe.”

He said the Union carried out a proper documentation of the attacks, storing pictures and other relevant documents to validate the incidents.