South African government has told victims of recent xenophobic attacks not to expect any form of compensation.

Mrs Naledi Pandor, Minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, said there was no provision for compensating those affected in the renewed attacks in the country.

In an interview with Reuters, Pandor said her country’s laws do not have provisions for such matters.

This is coming on the heels of officials of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration saying Nigeria would seek redress.

Speaking in Abuja, Wednesday, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, insisted the Federal Government would press for compensation for the attacks and destruction of the businesses of Nigerians in South Africa.

Federal Government had earlier demanded that Nigerians involved in the attacks should be recompensed.

“Full compensation has to be paid because, as we have discovered from previous experience, a lot of Nigerians lose their property and it is a long-drawn-out process and very often they are not compensated for it. But on this occasion, the Nigerian government is going to fight for full compensation and hold the government of South Africa to count,” the minister said at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

Mr Adetola Olubajo, president of Nigerian Union in South Africa, said Nigerians lost property worth millions of dollars in the attacks.

Federal Government has also said it was unaware the South African government shut down its missions in Nigeria. Onyeama said this while answering questions from State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“We are not aware that the South African government has closed down its high commission here in Abuja or its consulate in Lagos.”

The government of South Africa, yesterday, said it shut down its high commission in Abuja and the consulate in Lagos indefinitely following threats against the mission’s staff, as well as the property of South Africa in Nigeria.

South African acting high commissioner to Nigeria, Bobby Moroe, yesterday confirmed the closure of the country’s missions.

Moroe said the closure was sequel to a directive from his country’s government. The envoy said he had subsequently directed the Abuja and Lagos offices to suspend all consular activities until the situation improved.

The acting head of mission said the closure was necessitated by fear of attacks by some Nigerian youths.

Sun