Xenophobia: Two more Nigerians killed in South Africa

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Two more Nigerians have been killed in South Africa as the violent attacks and harassment of black foreigners continue.

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The Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg announced the deaths in a statement issued on Saturday.

The victims, identified as Emeka Iroegbu and Musa Joe, were both killed last Sunday, 28 June, but under different circumstances.

According to the consulate, Mr Joe was killed by “suspected criminals” in Witbank city, Mpumalanga province, while security operatives murdered Mr Iroegbu in Sunnyside, Pretoria.

Mr Iroegbu was reportedly tortured to death by officers of the Tshwane Metro Police in the suburbs of Pretoria. The Nigerian consulate noted that the victim was subjected to gruesome torture techniques at the hands of the Metro police, which led to his death.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the latest deaths raise the total number of Nigerians murdered in South Africa since the latest wave of xenophobic attacks began this year to four. The pattern of the recent deaths mirrors that of the two Nigerians murdered earlier in the country. These are: Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew.

They were arrested and allegedly beaten to death by personnel of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in Port Elizabeth.

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Mr Andrew’s corpse was found days after his arrest on 19 April in the Booysens area of Pretoria.

He was arrested due to an alleged altercation with members of the Tshwane Metro Police, and his body was discovered at the Pretoria Central Mortuary afterwards.

Mr Emmanuel died a day afterwards due to injuries he sustained from an attack by the SANDF.

Following the incident, the Nigerian government summoned the South African High Commissioner and demanded a thorough investigation into the deaths of the two Nigerians.

This investigation is still pending, and no arrests have been made in two months. Nigerian officials have repeatedly condemned the attacks in South Africa but have urged Nigerians to avoid retaliatory attacks on South African interests in Nigeria.

South Africa’s anti-foreigner campaign began in April, with footage of citizens attacking African foreigners circulating online. The arbitrary 30 June deadline announced by anti-immigrant South Africans for African foreigners to leave the country has further intensified tension.

Last Tuesday, many South Africans marched out in droves across cities to protest the presence of African migrants in the country, chanting “Abahambe!” This means “They must go!” in Zulu, the most widely spoken language in the country.

The deaths of at least five Mozambicans and five Ethiopians have also been attributed to xenophobic violence in the country.

READ ALSO: Xenophobia: South African govt must act to protect Nigerians, others – Official

The latest announcement by the Nigerian consulate now raises the death toll. Hundreds of African foreigners in the country have also been displaced. During the protest last week, shops were looted and properties destroyed, as has become customary in xenophobic attacks in the country.

Several African countries have so far repatriated hundreds of their citizens, including Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.

The Nigerian consulate stated that the continuing pattern of “such terrible incidents raises questions over the safety of Nigerians and other foreigners in South Africa.”

“The death is coming at a time when foreigners are being unduly targeted in South Africa, raising questions about what seems to be a deliberate attempt by some elements to generalise wrongfully and tag well-meaning, hard-working and respectable Nigerians in the country as criminals,” it noted.

The consulate also demanded a thorough and immediate investigation into the murders.

“We expect the authorities to d o the needful and achieve the ultimate prosecution of the perpetrators,” the statement read.