19th April, 2015
The Nigerian Union in South Africa has said that it has concluded arrangements to resettle 50 Nigerians affected by the ongoing xenophobic attacks.
The President of the union, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on phone from Pretoria, South Africa, on Saturday.
Anyene said that the Nigerians were displaced at Jeppes Town, near Johannesburg.
“We met about 300 Nigerians in Jeppes town, near Johannesburg, who fled for their safety and about 50 of them do not have any place to stay.
“We are making arrangements with the Nigerian mission in South Africa to get them a place to stay for their safety.
“The Nigerian union has also presented relief materials to those affected by the attacks and we are in touch with various branch chapters of the union in the provinces on their safety and security,” he said.
According to him, Nigerian shops and businesses in Durban and Johannesburg have been looted and some burnt.
He said that two shops belonging to Nigerians in Durban were looted and they lost goods worth 400,000 Rand.
“In Jeppes Town, near Johannesburg, five shops were looted and one burnt while the estimated loss is put at One million Rand.
“The incidents have been reported to the police and we are still taking stock of attacks on Nigerians,” he said.
Anyene reiterated the union’s call to the Federal Government to put more pressure on the South African government to halt the attacks.