‘Xenophobic violence’, building hijackers and drugs: Inside Nigeria and SA’s high-stakes meeting

Nigeria has urged South Africa to do more to prevent xenophobic attacks on African migrants, as the two countries meet this week to try to cool tensions. Foreign nationals have come under attack, and foreign-owned shops looted over the last few months, as some South Africans blame immigrants ​for problems such as crime and unemployment. Nigeria completed its voluntary repatriation programmelast Thursday, with the final flight taking 305 returnees home from Johannesburg.

In total, nearly 1 490 citizens were returned to the West African country. Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, led a high‑stakes mission to Abuja this week, opening candid talks aimed at repairing strained relations between the two nations. Tinubu designated a high-level Nigerian government delegation to engage in structured talks with the South African delegation led by Lamola.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) said the discussions were “candid, constructive, and forward-looking,” focusing on restoring mutual goodwill and strengthening bilateral relations between the two nations. Lamola’s spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said the minister outlined three specific areas of concern that have heightened recent tensions between the two countries: “The purported installation of an unrecognised traditional ruler, titled an ‘Igbo King ‘, in the Eastern Cape Province in March 2026 caused widespread public concern across South Africa. Minister Lamola emphasised that this occurred while South Africa is actively consolidating the constitutional role of traditional leadership in a post-apartheid society.” Phiri said concerns were raised regarding the involvement of certain foreign nationals, including Nigerian citizens, in organised crime, illicit drug trafficking, and financial fraud. “The Special Envoy noted that as of 7 July 2026, more than 500 Nigerian nationals had been processed through the South African criminal justice system for various offences, highlighting the need for enhanced cross-border security cooperation.” Lamola addressed instances where law enforcement officers faced violent resistance or obstruction during criminal investigations.