The Nigerian government has launched an emergency airlift, pulling thousands of its nationals out of South Africa. The move comes after a surge in anti-migrant violence, with attacks targeting foreign-owned businesses in Johannesburg and Pretoria. Sources inside the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria say the situation has become untenable. 'We are looking at a coordinated campaign of intimidation,' one official told me. 'Our people are being hunted.'
The death toll is unclear. But reports from the ground suggest at least five Nigerians have been killed in the last 48 hours. The violence is not random. It is organised. Mobs are going door to door, demanding to see IDs. Those without South African papers are being beaten, their shops looted.
President Muhammadu Buhari has been under pressure to act. Back home, the opposition is calling it a failure of diplomacy. 'Our embassy should have seen this coming,' a senior PDP figure said. But the truth is more complex. The Nigerian High Commission had flagged rising tensions weeks ago. Their warnings were ignored by Pretoria.
The evacuation is a logistical nightmare. Over 600 Nigerians have already been flown out on chartered flights. Thousands more are waiting at the High Commission in Pretoria, desperate to leave. The Nigerian government has deployed additional staff to process emergency travel documents. It is a race against time.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the violence. But his words ring hollow. The police have been slow to respond. In some cases, they have stood by and watched. There are whispers in diplomatic circles that the attacks have tacit support from within the ruling ANC. 'This is about the upcoming elections,' one Western diplomat told me. 'Xenophobia is a vote-winner here.'
The crisis is a test for Buhari. He is already fighting insurgencies at home. Now he must manage a foreign policy disaster. The evacuation is a stopgap. The real question is what happens next. Will Nigeria sever ties? Will there be sanctions?
For now, the focus is on getting people out. The flights will continue through the night. But the scars will remain. Nigeria and South Africa are Africa's two giants. Their relationship has always been competitive. This could break it.
