South Africa has dismissed Nigeria’s call for compensation for its citizens, whose properties were left behind following their evacuation from the country.
The evacuations were triggered by renewed xenophobic
violence against African migrants in South Africa.
Earlier this week, Temitope Ajayi, acting Nigerian high
commissioner to South Africa, said the government had already begun compiling
records of businesses and properties left behind by returnees.
He said the information will form the basis of discussions
with the South African authorities on possible compensation.
Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, South Africa’s minister in the
presidency, rebuffed those possibilities in a press conference on Friday.
Ntshavheni said all legitimate properties are formally
registered with authorities while informal settlements are illegal and
unrecognised.
The minister instead asked Nigeria to provide information on
locations allegedly used for drug-related activities.
“We’ll be interested to know where the drug dens of
Nigerians are. So they can show us where they have been holding the drugs so
that we can clean the drugs in South Africa quite urgently,” Ntshavheni said.
“Squatter camps and informal settlements are never
properties because they are illegal in the country.
So you are already
violating our law if you are going to tell us about a shack in some informal
settlement.”
“So there’s no compensation that will come from government.
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 a movable or immovable property.
And we are going to
seriously appreciate to be told where are the drug dens.”
Ntshavheni said the government has approved measures to
ensure that informal settlements would no longer be erected after demolitions.
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