PRETORIA — South Africa has rejected Nigeria’s request for compensation over properties left behind during recent anti-immigration unrest, saying the state will not be liable for private losses linked to individuals who chose to leave the country.
South African Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the government will not make any compensation payments, drawing a distinction between legally registered private assets and losses arising from migration decisions made in the context of insecurity.
She said property owners who legally hold registered assets such as houses, vehicles, and businesses are free to dispose of them through normal market channels, but stressed that the state cannot be held responsible for abandonment linked to voluntary departure or fear-driven relocation.
The remarks come amid ongoing diplomatic engagement between Pretoria and Abuja following unrest that prompted the evacuation of more than 600 Nigerian nationals from South Africa through government-coordinated flights.
Nigeria’s acting High Commissioner in South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, has said evacuees have been instructed to document property, business assets, and personal belongings left behind as part of efforts to prepare potential compensation claims.
Ajayi has also pushed back against claims that most affected Nigerians were undocumented, arguing that many were legally present but faced administrative delays linked to immigration processing backlogs.
The dispute highlights differing interpretations between the two governments, with Nigeria framing the issue as a loss of accumulated economic livelihoods, while South Africa maintains it is a private property matter outside state compensation obligations.
Diplomatic observers say the issue could become a sensitive test of bilateral relations, particularly as both countries seek to balance migration concerns, economic ties, and domestic political pressures.
