Tears At The Gates: Emotional Families Say Final Goodbyes to SA As Nigerian Evacuation Begins

 

PRETORIA — Heartbreaking scenes of tearful farewells and quiet desperation unfolded outside the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria on Wednesday, as the first major cohort of Nigerian nationals prepared to leave South Africa for good.

Following weeks of registration and grueling documentation checks, hundreds of families gathered on the embassy sidewalk, surrounded by overflowing suitcases, plastic-wrapped bundles, and the remnants of lives built over decades. The atmosphere was thick with emotion as departing citizens—some who have lived in South Africa for over 20 years—embraced neighbors and friends they may never see again.

The mass departure is a response to the "March and March" movement's looming June 30 ultimatum, which has sparked a wave of voluntary repatriations across the diplomatic community. While the South African government has officially condemned vigilante action, the reality on the ground has left many foreign nationals feeling they have no choice but to accept the Nigerian government’s emergency evacuation offer.
"I came here when I was twenty. My children were born in Sunnyside," whispered Chidi Okafor, as he helped his young daughter onto a waiting shuttle. "We have worked hard, we have paid our taxes, but now we are being told the air here is no longer ours to breathe. It is better to go home with my life than stay here for a funeral."

The Nigerian High Commission, led by Acting High Commissioner Ambassador Olatunde Ajayi, has been operating on a 24-hour cycle to process more than 1,000 citizens who have registered for the free flights. The first batch of 270 evacuees is scheduled to depart O.R. Tambo International Airport shortly after midnight on Thursday aboard a chartered Air Peace flight, landing in Lagos at approximately 5:00 a.m.


To facilitate the exodus, the High Commission successfully negotiated administrative waivers with the South African Department of Home Affairs, ensuring that those with expired visas or missing permits could clear immigration without the threat of immediate detention or heavy fines.

As the buses pulled away from the embassy toward the airport, a somber silence fell over the remaining crowd. For those leaving, the journey is one of bitter relief; for those still waiting for their turn in the screening process, the clock toward June 30 continues to tick.