South Africa faces pushback over $18.5m repatriation bill

South Africa is facing diplomatic resistance from several African nations regarding a demand for approximately $18.5 million (R292.77 million) in repatriation costs. The South African Department of Home Affairs reported that these expenses, incurred during the repatriation of foreign nationals, significantly exceeded its R60 million deportation budget.

South Africa has sought reimbursement from Nigeria, Malawi, and Ethiopia. However, Nigerian officials have denied receiving any formal demand for payment. A spokesperson for the Nigerian Foreign Ministry and the Nigerian Consul General in South Africa both stated that no such request has reached their offices, contradicting Pretoria’s claim that requests were sent through diplomatic channels.

Ghana has also rejected liability for the costs. The Ghanaian Foreign Ministry issued a statement asserting that the evacuation of Ghanaian nationals was fully funded by the Ghanaian government and its partners, and that Accra did not seek financial or material support from South Africa for these operations.