Africa: South African government demands certain African countries reimburse migrant repatriation costs

According to our colleagues at RFI, South Africa is totting up its accounts after being shaken by violent xenophobic demonstrations against undocumented foreigners that caused significant material damage, notably the looting of shops and other acts of vandalism. The country asserts that nearly 90,000 foreign nationals primarily Malawian citizens left the country between late June and early August following these mobilizations, although figures advanced by other African governments are higher. The executive branch intends to share the bill for such operations, the largest expense of which involves chartering buses.

The scale of these operations in such a short time is "unprecedented," estimated Minister Leon Schreiber earlier in the week. However, these costs, although unavoidable, were not budgeted for in public spending, according to the ministry representative who presented these figures on Tuesday before a parliamentary committee. He detailed that the South African authorities have "written to the government of Malawi, as well as to the embassies of Nigeria and Ethiopia" to demand compensation.

This request has surprised more than one observer given the brutality and cruelty suffered by African migrants in South Africa. It should also be emphasized that several African countries expressed their indignation, considering South Africa's past, having benefited from the solidarity of all African peoples during the dark period of apartheid.

Conversely, following the demonstrations, Ghana and Nigeria had expressed their intention to demand damages from Pretoria for the harm suffered by their nationals, a claim that South Africa refuses.