Xenophobia: National Assembly Suspends Official Engagements With South Africa

By Adedapo Adesanya

The National Assembly has suspended all official legislative engagements with South Africa, including visits, conferences, workshops and parliamentary exchanges, over renewed xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerians and other African nationals.

The decision, announced on Friday, followed consultations between the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives amid reports of Nigerians being killed, injured, displaced and forced to abandon their homes, businesses and investments in South Africa.

In a statement signed by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr Kamoru Ogunlana, the federal legislature said it was deeply concerned about the recurring attacks and the continued failure of South African authorities to halt the violence despite repeated diplomatic interventions.

The statement said the suspension covers all official visits to South Africa by the National Assembly, its committees, lawmakers, officials and staff until further notice.

It also includes a boycott of conferences, seminars, workshops, parliamentary meetings, legislative exchange programmes and other activities organised or hosted by South African legislative authorities.

According to the statement, the ban applies to both in-person attendance and participation via virtual or online platforms.

“The leadership has directed the Clerk to issue the necessary communication to senators, members of the House of Representatives, committees, departments, directorates, officials and staff to ensure strict compliance,” the statement read.

It added that the suspension would remain in force pending a review by the leadership “as circumstances warrant.”

The National Assembly took the decision after noting persistent reports of xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals living in South Africa.

It said that previous appeals by the federal government and other stakeholders, urging South African authorities to protect foreign nationals and bring perpetrators to justice, had failed to stop further incidents.

The lawmakers added that stronger measures were needed to demonstrate Nigeria’s concern for the safety and welfare of its citizens abroad.

However, the legislature clarified that the decision was not intended to undermine the longstanding historical, diplomatic and people-to-people relations between Nigeria and South Africa.

Instead, it described the suspension as “a strong expression of concern over the safety, dignity and welfare of Nigerians living and conducting legitimate businesses” in South Africa.

The National Assembly’s action comes months after Nigeria began evacuating its citizens from South Africa following renewed xenophobic violence.

Around 1,500 Nigerians had voluntarily registered for the exercise, leaving behind businesses and friends.

Government agencies received the returnees for documentation, profiling and reunification with their families.

Beyond the evacuation exercise, Nigeria has continued to mount diplomatic pressure on South Africa over the attacks.

In July, the federal government urged South African authorities to take concrete steps to end recurring xenophobic violence against Nigerians.

Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Mr Temitope Alexander Ajayi, also disclosed that the government had begun documenting businesses and properties abandoned by returning Nigerians as part of efforts to seek possible compensation.