Senate Rejects Proposal to Nationalise South African Firms for Victims

The Senate on Tuesday turned down requests from some members to take over South African companies in Nigeria and use their money to pay Nigerians who lost property in xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

The Senate made this decision after most senators voted against the idea during a voice vote while discussing the ongoing attacks and killings of Nigerians in South Africa.

The motion was presented by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong from Cross River South.

MTN, a major telecom company, and DStv, a pay TV service owned by MultiChoice Group, are among South African firms operating in Nigeria.

During the discussion, Senator Wasiu Eshinlokun from Lagos Central urged the Senate to think about taking over the companies. He is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He expressed sadness over the deaths of Nigerians and the destruction of their properties in South Africa.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole from Edo North supported the idea. He said lawmakers should take action that would impact South Africa’s economy instead of just expressing sorrow over the attacks. Mr Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State, reminded everyone that the Senate had previously agreed to send a team to South Africa to talk with its government about the killings, but nothing has happened since then.

Senator Abdul Ningi from Bauchi Central also agreed, stating that Nigeria should push for stronger diplomatic measures instead of just continuing talks.

But Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who led the session, dismissed the proposal. He said the attacks should be thoroughly investigated before Nigeria takes any steps. Mr Jibrin, an APC senator from Kano North, admitted that many Nigerians have lost their lives and properties but insisted that Nigeria must be careful in its response.

"Killing people in the name of protest is not something that should be accepted. It is unacceptable, we cannot allow that but then we need to be careful, particularly because we live in Africa, we set the pace. Whatever we want to do, we need to be very careful," he said.

Mr Jibrin also spoke about reports that the South African government has not compensated victims. He stated that decisions should not be based on what is seen on social media.

"What Senator Adams Oshiomhole said, sometimes, we don’t take things that are said on social media to analyse the situation. I saw what he is talking about. What the minister was saying was that those who live in illegal settlements will not be paid anything because they illegally occupied those areas. But those who have titles, nobody will take those titles away from them, nobody will take their properties from them even if they have been displaced.

"The government (of SA) should be bold enough to say we have been threatened by some certain people who are conspiring to destabilise our nation. The president (of SA) should come out to tell the world. Maybe after the committee has done its work, maybe we will find it necessary to advise the South African government," he said.

Mr Jibrin then asked the three senators to withdraw their proposals. He suggested that the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs should investigate the attacks and report back in two weeks.

This is not the first time lawmakers have discussed attacks on Nigerians in South Africa. There have been past calls to revoke the licenses of MTN, DStv, and other South African companies in Nigeria.

On 5 May, the Senate had agreed to send a team to South Africa as part of diplomatic efforts to stop the attacks.

They decided that the delegation would include members from both chambers of the National Assembly and would be led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The team was meant to speak with the South African government and the leaders of its parliament to find a solution to the attacks on Nigerians. But it is unclear if the lawmakers' team ever visited South Africa, as there are no public records of such a visit.

In recent weeks, violent protests have broken out in parts of South Africa, targeting African migrants, including Nigerians. Videos on social media show mobs attacking foreigners, with reports of several Nigerians being killed.

There are also claims that security forces did not intervene during some of these attacks. Two Nigerians were reportedly killed in April by the South African National Defence Force in Port Elizabeth.

One victim, Ekpenyong Andrew, was arrested and later found dead in Pretoria, while another victim, Amaramiro Emmanuel, died from injuries allegedly caused by an attack from security personnel.

In response to the violence, the Nigerian government has repatriated several citizens from South Africa.

Senator Ekpenyong, while presenting the motion, condemned the attacks. He asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get written assurances from the South African government about the safety of Nigerians living there.

He also called for the arrest of those who cause violence, intimidation, looting, and illegal immigration enforcement.

The senator urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, and the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa to increase emergency consular support. He wants them to create a verified list of Nigerians who have faced death, injury, displacement, or loss of property to help with legal claims and compensation.

Finally, he called on the federal government to work with other affected African nations and relevant bodies in the African Union to set up a system to prevent xenophobic violence and protect African migrants.