Tinubu spurns talks with South African representative, redirects team to minister of foreign affairs

President Bola Tinubu declined to meet with a special delegation from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday, instead directing them to meet with Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, due to the ongoing xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

n

The delegation, led by South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola, had arrived in Abuja on Friday and sought an audience with the President, but were told to engage with Enikanolaiye, who was appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in June 2026.

n

The development comes amid a diplomatic row between Nigeria and South Africa over renewed xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerians and other African nationals, which has led to the evacuation of nearly 600 Nigerians back home.

n

According to a Presidency source, the delegation had arrived on Friday without prior notice, and the President instructed them to meet with Enikanolaiye, who would then brief him on the discussions.

n

A second source confirmed the President's decision, stating that the meeting with the President was not happening, while a third Presidency official said the meeting was not on the schedule for the day.

n

The South African delegation had remained in Abuja over the weekend, carrying a message from Ramaphosa, and were advised by Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu that it was not an appropriate time for the President to receive them personally.

n

Enikanolaiye, in receiving the South African delegation, stated that Tinubu had directed him to engage the envoys on resolving the crisis and stressed that the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and South Africa should not be undermined by attacks on African migrants.

n

Enikanolaiye lamented the recurring attacks on Nigerians, citing incidents dating back to 1995, 1998, 2006, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and 2026, and noted that 98 Nigerians had died in mob actions in South Africa since 2022.

n

The minister recalled Nigeria's role in supporting South Africa's liberation from apartheid and said the violence was inconsistent with the relationship both countries had built over the years, emphasizing that Nigeria does not support criminality but advocates for due process.

n

Enikanolaiye described the humanitarian impact of the attacks as devastating, recalling the evacuation of nearly 1,500 Nigerians from South Africa, and expressed concern over the role of state authorities in addressing the violence.

n

Lamola, responding on behalf of the South African delegation, stated that Ramaphosa had sent him as a special envoy to deliver a message to Tinubu and reaffirm South Africa's opposition to xenophobia and other forms of intolerance.

n

Lamola maintained that South Africa would continue to enforce its immigration laws and address criminal activities, while also acknowledging the need for joint solutions to the continental challenge of migration.

n

The meeting between Enikanolaiye and the South African delegation took place amid deteriorating relations between Nigeria and South Africa, following a wave of xenophobic violence that erupted in April 2026 across several South African provinces.

n

The crisis had prompted Tinubu to approve evacuation flights for over 1,000 Nigerians who registered for voluntary repatriation, with Nigeria warning that retaliatory diplomatic measures remained an option.

n

Lamola's visit was seen as an effort by Ramaphosa to de-escalate tensions through direct diplomatic engagement with the Nigerian Presidency ahead of the African Union Extraordinary Summit on conflict prevention and resolution scheduled for Angola from August 29 to 30, 2026.