Xenophobia: ‘Over 400 Nigerians Ready For Evacuation From S’Africa’ …One Killed, Five Injured In Fresh Attacks

The Nigerian Mission in South Africa has said that no fewer than 400 Nigerians have indicated interest and registered to be evacuated from South Africa following the recent xenophobic attacks.
Nigeria’s Consul General in Johannesburg, Godwin Adama, said this in a telephone interview with newsmen, yesterday, in Abuja.
Adama noted that Air Peace had offered to airlift those willing to return home sequel to the attacks on Nigerians and their businesses by South Africans.
According to him, the first batch of Nigerians who are willing to return home would be repatriated on Wednesday.
“We have more than enough for that aircraft. Over 400 Nigerians have already registered; more are still coming”, he said.
The Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Kabiru Bala, also said that Nigerians had responded positively in good numbers.
Bala said that the mission was equally responding to the needs of those willing to return, especially those who had issues with their documents.
“We are documenting them. Those without travel documents, we shall provide them with Emergency Travel Certificates.
“There are other governmental procedures that we must observe. Relevant agencies of government in Nigeria must be informed and must be ready to receive the returnees.
“Hard work is now going on at the High Commission and Consulate in this regard. As soon as all procedures and relevant protocols are observed, the return is assured and guaranteed.
“A little more patience will be helpful. The response of Nigerians is just amazing,’’ Bala said.
President, Nigeria Citizens Association, South Africa, Ben Okoli, said all efforts were geared towards the evacuation of those who were ready to come back home.
Okoli said the figure of those ready to come was in hundreds as many had lost their means of livelihood and had nothing to fall back on.
Meanwhile, two persons were stabbed, yesterday, in a resurgence of xenophobic protests in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The President, Nigerian Union South Africa, Adetola Olubajo, confirmed this to our correspondent in a telephone interview.
He, however, could not speak on the nationalities of the victims or the severity of the injuries as the police had yet to reveal the identities of the victims.
Olubajo said, “It’s confirmed that two people were stabbed by Taxi Rank and Jeppe Road in Johannesburg Central Business District, and we have informed the Consul-General of Nigeria in Johannesburg and the police in Jeppestown.
“I’m not sure (of their nationalities) as the police have taken them to hospital. Their identities were not disclosed. The police are using rubber bullets to disperse them.”
According to the NUSA president, there was a meeting yesterday morning which the police minister was supposed to address.
He said a popular South African activist, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, addressed the South Africans, calling for peace, but some of the protesters got angry and left.
Olubajo added, “Now, they are chanting ‘foreigners must go’ with some dangerous weapons in their hands. They have moved from Jeppestown to Bramfontein even to the CBD Taxi Rank in town.
“Though we have been monitoring the incident for the past three hours now, police have not been able to disperse them. Our fear is that they may start looting again in the night.
“We have sent an alert to the Nigerians. Immediately, we used our various social media platforms to do that. We sent it to our structures and the entirety of Nigerians. Most Nigerians are aware of this by now because there are photos and videos, and it is also televised by SABC.”
He noted that a lot of Nigerians lived in the affected area though some had relocated because last Sunday’s looting and vandalism of Nigerian businesses by South Africans occurred in the same area.
“Quite a number of our people live around Jeppestown and Fountain. We are talking about Johannesburg, which is very big but Jeppestown is close the eastern part of Johannesburg where those hostiles.
“Jules Street is closer to them; it’s a major road they would take to the CBD. MTN Taxi Rank is the major bus stop there. They have virtually captured that taxi rank and Bramfontein,” Olubajo explained.
However, one person has been killed in renewed xenophobic attacks in Johannesburg, South Africa, police have confirmed.
According to news24.com, Gauteng police spokesperson, Captain Kay Makhubele, also confirmed that five people had been injured.
The casualties were also confirmed by the President, Nigerian Union South Africa, Adetola Olubajo, in a text message to our correspondent, which read, “Police has confirmed one person dead and five injured.”
A group of men, some of whom wielded sticks, pangas and tree branches, reportedly marched through the city centre after disrupting a meeting in which the President Emeritus of the Inkatha Freedom Party, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, spoke to hostel residents following a week of deadly xenophobic violence.
Makhubele said 16 people were arrested for public violence and possession of stolen property.
Several shops were forced to close their doors as the protesters damaged property and looted several businesses.
Meanwhile, NUSA is calling on all Nigerians to stay away from hot spots where the ongoing violent protest march by Zulu hostel dwellers in Johannesburg is taking place and equally be at alert as it may spread across the province of Gauteng and beyond.
The Publicity Secretary of the union, Habib Salihu, in a statement, yesterday, said this was to avoid a repeat of the violence recorded last week which led to “monumental loss of properties and innocent lives.”
The Zulu hostel dwellers were said to have walked out and disrupted a gathering which was being addressed by Buthelezi earlier, yesterday and marched around Jules street towards MTN taxi rank and Bramfontein chanting “foreigners must leave the country” songs.
The statement read, “The demonstration is still ongoing, hence we have warned/alerted our people/structures through various media platforms affiliated with our organisation.
“We urge the law enforcement agents to please be proactive in dealing with the prevalent situation so that lives and properties of inhabitants in the Republic, especially African foreign migrants that appear to be the primary target, are protected.
“Our mission in Johannesburg has been informed.”