This archive report was first published on 2 October 2019.
October 2, 2019
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari arrived in South Africa on Wednesday for a state visit, amidst rising tensions following an outburst of xenophobic violence in and around Johannesburg.
The visit, which is Buhari's first to South Africa since 2013, comes after mobs descended on foreign-owned properties in and around Johannesburg in early September, leaving at least 12 people dead and hundreds of migrant workers repatriated to Nigeria.
South African businesses in Nigeria were also forced to close temporarily after they were targeted by revenge attacks.
Despite Pretoria offering 'sincere apologies' in a bid to calm the anger, the presidency in Abuja said Buhari would use the state visit to discuss the 'welfare of Nigerians, and find common grounds for building harmonious relations with their hosts.'
He will hold a 'town hall meeting' with Nigerians living in South Africa to listen to their experiences and show the government is working to protect them.
However, analysts say that despite incentives to improve ties, Buhari's visit appears unlikely to radically bolster relations between the two countries.
'What we are seeing in the relationship is years of bad management on both sides,' said Cheta Nwanze, head of research at Nigeria's SBM Intelligence.
'That won't change dramatically because of this visit -- if it is to improve then it needs sustained commitment at the highest levels.'
