Three Nigerians ‘close to death’ after fresh xenophobic attacks in South Africa

Three Nigerians are in critical condition following renewed xenophobic attacks in Polokwane, Limpopo province of South Africa.

Collin Mgbo, secretary of the Nigeria Union in South Africa, told NAN on telephone from Polokwane that five Nigerians were affected in the latest round of violence.

“I received a call that a Nigerian was attacked at Ivy Park in Polokwane on March 15. I got to the scene and saw that the Nigerian was almost dead, his house was looted and burnt,” he said.

Mgbo said another Nigerian was also attacked in the same neighbourhood same day and that while he got to the scene, the mob left the wounded man and descended on him.

“They left the wounded Nigerian and faced me. They destroyed my car and I managed to escape and ran to a police station,” he said.

The secretary added that three Nigerians, including the owner of a mechanic’s garage, were attacked at Moledji, near Polokwane.

“Their shops and houses were looted, vandalised and destroyed. The local chapter of the union has reported these attacks to the South African police, Nigerian mission and national secretariat of our union,” he said.

“Our national secretariat is on top of the situation. As we speak, three Nigerians in the hospital are in critical condition and I do not know if they will survive because of the severity of the attack.”

Mgbo urged the federal government to persuade its South African counterpart to ensure the safety of Nigerians in their country.

When contacted on phone, Olusola Enikanolaye, permanent secretary, ministry of foreign affairs, said the ministry had not been briefed about the incident.

He, however, promised to get back to NAN after inquiry from the Nigerian high commission in South Africa.

Similarly in February, Nigerians lost property worth millions of dollars in attacjs.

The federal government later sent a delegation, led by Geoffery Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs and Abdulrahman Dambazau, his Interior counterpart, to South Africa for discussion on how to check of the attacks.