'No compensation for Nigerians' — South Africa rejects Nigeria's request for the properties of evacuated citizens over xenophobic attacks

• South Africa has rejected Nigeria's request for compensation for citizens evacuated during the recent xenophobic tensions.

• Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said legally owned properties can be sold through South Africa's property market rather than compensated by the government.

Former senator Shehu Sani criticised the minister's remarks, prompting her viral response: "I didn't stutter."

• The dispute follows Nigeria's evacuation of hundreds of citizens who abandoned businesses and properties amid fears of xenophobic attacks.

The South African government has rejected Nigeria's request for compensation for citizens who abandoned businesses and other properties while fleeing renewed xenophobic attacks, insisting that affected Nigerians should instead dispose of their legally owned assets through the country's property market.

The decision follows Nigeria's move to document businesses, homes and other investments left behind by citizens who voluntarily returned home during the recent anti-immigration tensions in South Africa.

Nigeria's Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Temitope Ajayi, had earlier disclosed that the Federal Government was compiling records of businesses and properties abandoned by returnees as part of efforts to engage South African authorities on possible compensation for the losses suffered by affected Nigerians.

However, speaking during a press briefing, South Africa's Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, dismissed the proposal, saying the South African government would not compensate Nigerians for properties they left behind.

"So there's no compensation that will come from the government," Ntshavheni said.

She explained that legally owned properties remain registered in the owners' names and can be sold through the country's property market.

"Those who leave their properties, if they are properly legally registered in the country, they can dispose of the properties in the property market in South Africa, whether it's movable or immovable property," she said.

The minister added that structures located in informal settlements could not be recognised for compensation because they were illegal under South African law.

According to her, "Squatter camps and informal settlements are never properties because they are illegal in the country."

The issue later escalated on social media after former Kaduna Central senator Shehu Sani criticised Ntshavheni's remarks on X.

Reacting to the minister's comments, Sani wrote:

"This is from a SENIOR Government official and NOT a thug from the streets."

Ntshavheni responded directly to the former lawmaker, standing firmly by her earlier position.

"I didn't stutter. Any form of property obtained illegally won't be compensated for," she wrote.

The South African minister also stirred fresh controversy by asking Nigeria to identify locations allegedly used for drug-related activities by some Nigerians in the country.

"We'll be interested to know where the drug dens of Nigerians are so that we can clean the drugs in South Africa quite urgently," she said during the briefing.

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The diplomatic disagreement comes after Nigeria evacuated hundreds of its citizens from South Africa following fears of renewed xenophobic violence triggered by anti-immigration protests.

The Federal Government had arranged several evacuation flights, with hundreds of Nigerians returning home after abandoning businesses, rented apartments and other assets. Officials said many more Nigerians also registered for voluntary evacuation as tensions escalated.

Despite South Africa's rejection of compensation, Nigeria has not announced whether it will continue diplomatic engagements on the matter.