The South African government has turned down Nigeria’s request for compensation for citizens who fled the country after recent xenophobic attacks, saying it will not pay for businesses or properties abandoned by those who left.

Nigeria had announced plans to document the assets and investments left behind by affected citizens as part of efforts to seek compensation from South African authorities.

Earlier in the week, Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Temitope Ajayi, disclosed that the Federal Government had begun compiling details of losses suffered by Nigerians who returned home following the attacks.

Responding to the proposal on Friday, South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said the government would not compensate anyone for property left behind.

She explained that legally owned assets remain protected under South African law and can be sold through the country’s property market. She added that structures located in informal settlements are not recognised as legal property because they are built in areas that violate the country’s regulations.

Ntshavheni also made controversial remarks linking some Nigerians to illegal drug operations, saying authorities would welcome information that could help identify and shut down such locations.

She maintained that property owners with legally registered assets have the option of disposing of them through the appropriate legal channels rather than expecting compensation from the government.

The minister further revealed that South Africa had approved additional measures aimed at preventing demolished informal settlements from being rebuilt.

The development comes amid renewed anti-immigrant violence in parts of South Africa, which has forced many African migrants, including Nigerians, to leave the country over fears for their safety.