South Africa is facing resistance from Ghana and Nigeria over its attempt to recover about $18.5 million spent supporting the repatriation of foreign nationals, with both countries disputing Pretoria’s position on the costs of returning their citizens.
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has said it incurred about R292.77 million ($18.5 million) in repatriation-related costs, far exceeding its R60 million budget for deportations.The government said it was seeking reimbursement from several African countries whose nationals were repatriated from South Africa.
The countries explicitly named by South Africa are Nigeria, Malawi and Ethiopia. South Africa's Home Affairs department said it had written to Malawi's government and the Nigerian and Ethiopian embassies through DIRCO requesting reimbursement.
Nigeria, however, says it has not received any formal demand for payment. Nigerian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa told the BBC on Wednesday: “We never received any request.”
The response creates a discrepancy between Pretoria’s account that reimbursement requests have been communicated through diplomatic channels and Abuja’s position that no such request has reached its foreign ministry or diplomatic mission.
Ghana has also moved to distance itself from South Africa’s reimbursement demand.
In a statement issued late Thursday, Ghana’s Foreign Ministry said it had taken note of South Africa’s demand for about $18 million from several African countries for support and facilitation provided during the evacuation of foreign nationals.Accra rejected any suggestion that South Africa should be reimbursed for the evacuation of Ghanaian nationals.
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