South Africa’s Sovereign Stand: Defending Deportation of Kenyan Nationals and Rebuking U.S. Allegations.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

In a world where national sovereignty increasingly collides with global geopolitical muscle-flexing, South Africa’s recent deportation of seven Kenyan nationals (and its rebuff of allegations emanating from the United States) stands as a defining moment in African statecraft. The incidents have not only ignited diplomatic tensions between Pretoria and Washington, but they have also exposed the fault lines of immigration sovereignty, foreign interventionism, and the rule of law in international relations.

The uproar centers on South Africa’s lawful arrest and deportation of seven Kenyan nationals who were found working without valid permits at an immigration application centre in Johannesburg. The facility was linked to the processing of refugee applications for the United States (particularly for white South Africans under a controversial U.S. resettlement programme) and has since become the fulcrum of a diplomatic dispute.

A Lawful Enforcement Action Met With Foreign Accusation. On 16 December 2025, in an intelligence-driven operation, South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs (DHA), in cooperation with law enforcement partners, raided an immigration processing centre in Johannesburg where seven Kenyan nationals were found engaging in work while holding tourist visas. According to official statements, these individuals had previously applied for lawful work permits (requests that had been denied) yet continued to work in violation of the terms of entry into the country.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber later confirmed that the seven were issued deportation orders and banned from re-entry into South Africa for five years. He emphasised that the operation was conducted in strict compliance with South African immigration laws and that no United States officials were arrested during the process, which did not take place on a diplomatic site.

Yet, the United States (through statements issued by the U.S. State Department) accused South African authorities of detaining American personnel and unlawfully publicising personal information of U.S. officials. Washington cautioned that failure to hold those responsible to account could lead to “SEVERE CONSEQUENCES.”

South Africa has categorically rejected these allegations.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Pretoria labelled the suggestion of data exposure or harassment of U.S. officials as unfounded and devoid of credible evidence. The government reiterated that matters of data security are treated with “UTMOST SERIOUSNESS” and governed by established legal and diplomatic protocols. It underscored its commitment to principled diplomacy grounded in mutual respect and factual dialogue.

Sovereignty and the Rule of Law: Defending. Constitutional Mandates
South Africa’s position is not merely a defensive posture; it is an assertive declaration of state sovereignty and adherence to its legal framework. As DIRCO’s official statement put it, “The government will not negotiate its sovereignty and the implementation of the rule of law.”

This declaration resonates with foundational principles of international law. Sovereignty (the absolute authority of a state to govern its territory and enforce its laws) is a bedrock norm recognised universally. South Africa’s enforcement of its immigration statutes, particularly concerning who may work within its borders and under what conditions, is a legitimate exercise of that sovereign authority.

Professor Steven Friedman, a respected South African political analyst, argues:

“A sovereign state must, at all times, uphold the primacy of its laws. No amount of external pressure (even from powerful allies) should compromise that obligation.”

Furthermore, immigration violations are not trivial administrative infractions. They concern questions of national security, labour regulation, public order, and fairness in the administration of visas and permits. South African law (like that of other sovereign states) stipulates that work without a permit is a prosecutable offence, irrespective of the employer or perceived humanitarian objectives of foreign entities.

Foreign Programmes and Uneasy Diplomatic Terrain. The controversy is exacerbated by the highly politicised backdrop of the U.S. refugee programme at the centre of this incident. Under the administration of President Donald Trump, the United States dramatically reshaped its refugee policy, instituting a low cap on global admissions and prioritising special arrangements for white South Africans who claim racial persecution under domestic policies like Black Economic Empowerment. These claims have been widely disputed both within South Africa and by international legal scholars.

In legally robust terms, South Africa does not recognise white South Africans as refugees and a category reserved for those who face persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, as defined under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. No credible evidence supports claims of state-sanctioned persecution of white citizens.

Dr. Michael Schmidt, a scholar of international refugee law, states:
“A host state must not become complicit in the redefinition of persecution criteria for political convenience. Refugee status is a legal category and not a political bargaining chip.”

The fact that the centre in question was engaged in processing such applications (and that foreign workers were present without proper authorisation) raised legitimate concerns for South African authorities about the legality and diplomatic propriety of the operation.

Diplomatic Engagement: Rejecting Threats, Embracing Dialogue. Despite the tension, South Africa has not shut the door on diplomacy. DIRCO has asserted that it has engaged the United States through official channels to clarify the allegations and to ensure that future interactions respect both countries’ legal frameworks and mutual interests.

In the words of Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, South Africa’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations:

“Diplomacy is not conducted through threats or unilateral declarations. It requires dialogue rooted in facts, mutual understanding, and respect for sovereign law.”

This approach reflects a mature understanding of statecraft. South Africa is neither isolationist nor adversarial by default, but it will push back against narratives that compromise its legal autonomy.

Contextualising the U.S. Response. The United States’ sharp reaction (including threats of “severe consequences”) stems from multiple sources. Washington is sensitive to perceived challenges to its global leadership, especially where humanitarian or refugee programmes are involved. Moreover, the political utility of the Afrikaner refugee narrative within certain U.S. domestic constituencies has amplified tensions. However, diplomacy that favours ideological narratives over legal realities cannot withstand scrutiny in the global arena.

Renowned international law expert Professor Fatima Hussain encapsulates the issue succinctly:

“International cooperation cannot thrive on the assumption that might makes right. Respect for legal norms must transcend political posturing.”

Sovereignty on Trial: A Landmark Moment for Principle and Law. South Africa’s handling of the deportation of Kenyan nationals (and its decisive rejection of unfounded allegations) serves as a reminder that the rule of law cannot be subordinated to geopolitical pressure. In an era where powerful nations often wield influence over weaker states, Pretoria’s forthright stance affirms that sovereignty and legal order remain paramount.

More than an immigration enforcement action, this episode is a litmus test of the principles that underpin just international relations. It calls on African nations (and indeed all states) to defend legal sovereignty, resist external coercion, and uphold dignity in diplomatic engagement.

As the dust settles, the conversation must move beyond partisan headlines and confront the substantive issues at stake: legitimate law enforcement, respect for sovereign borders, and an international system governed not by unilateral threats, but by shared commitment to law, order, and mutual respect.

*Banditry: Christian clerics, others call for arrest of Bafarawa, Yerima over killings in north West

A group of inter-faith religious leaders from northern Nigeria, styling themselves as the Concerned Northern Inter-Faith Clergy for Peace, has urgently called on President Bola Tinubu to order the immediate arrest and prosecution of former governors Attahiru Bafarawa of Sokoto State and Ahmed Sani Yerima of Zamfara State.

The clerics led by Bishop Sunday Bawa in a press conference in Abuja alleged that the two ex-governors bear responsibility for laying the foundations of the rampant banditry terrorising the North-West region.

The appeal, issued in a strongly worded statement during the Yuletide season, references a widely circulated video released earlier this month by notorious bandit kingpin Bello Turji.

In the video, Turji accused Bafarawa and Yerima of seizing and selling vast grazing reserves designated for herders and arming vigilante groups, known as Yan Banga, which he claimed targeted and killed Fulani communities.

These actions, Turji alleged, sparked ethnic tensions and cycles of reprisal attacks that escalated into the current wave of kidnappings, massacres, and cattle rustling.

“Even though Turji is a confessed terrorist… we cannot ignore his words,” the clergy said in statement signed by Imam Sheikh Yusuf Sarki, Bishop Pius Dauda and 10 others.

The group emphasised that the allegations point to deep-rooted issues of land dispossession and armed vigilantism that allowed criminal gangs to evolve into the “monsters” now plaguing the region.

The inter-faith body, comprising imams, pastors, bishops, and other spiritual leaders, expressed solidarity with bereaved families who have also petitioned President Tinubu for an investigation into the claims.

These families, many of whom have lost loved ones to bandit attacks, described the president as their “last hope” for justice after local efforts yielded no results.

Bawa highlighted the devastating toll of banditry, describing it as an “unfolding genocide.”

They cited figures indicating over 13,485 deaths from banditry between 2010 and May 2023, with at least 2,266 killed in the first half of 2025 alone—surpassing the total for all of 2024.

Reports from bodies like Amnesty International and the National Human Rights Commission document thousands kidnapped, injured, or displaced, while economic losses run into trillions of naira due to disrupted farming, trade, and ransoms.

The statement criticised responses from Bafarawa and Yerima as “empty echoes” and denials, noting that the former governors claimed no significant banditry existed when they left office in 2007 and questioned the timing of the accusations.

“Time heals no guilt,” the clerics retorted, arguing that evasion only fuels suspicion and impunity.
In a direct Yuletide appeal to President Tinubu, the group urged him to “immediately direct the arrest and prosecution” of the two former governors for “alleged acts that laid the foundations of this terror.”

They further called for a transparent, independent probe—possibly with international oversight—into the allegations, alongside measures to address root causes like poverty and land disputes.

Civil Society Situation Room Rates NNPC GCEO High on Performance

***Lauds Reforms on Transparency, Improved Crude Production

The Coalition of Civil Society for Transparency in the Extractive Industry (CCSTEI) has highly commended the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, for his transformative leadership in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja. the coalition’s National Coordinator, Dr. Agabi Emanuel praised Ojulari’s bold reforms that have enhanced transparency, boosted operational efficiency, and driven significant improvements in crude oil production.

The CCSTEI highlighted that since Ojulari’s appointment in April 2025, NNPC Ltd has shifted from longstanding perceptions of opacity and inefficiency to a more commercially driven and accountable entity.

Key achievements noted include the consistent publication of monthly performance reports, which have fostered real-time stakeholder oversight.

Financially, the coalition applauded the company’s 2024 audited results, which showed a record revenue of ₦45.1 trillion and a profit after tax of ₦5.4 trillion – marking a 64% year-on-year growth in profit.

On the production front, the group celebrated the milestone reached by NNPC Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL), the company’s upstream subsidiary, which hit a daily crude oil output of 355,000 barrels on December 1, 2025 – the highest in 36 years.

This contributed to an average daily production increase of 52%, from 203,000 barrels per day in 2023 to 312,000 barrels per day in 2025.

The statement also acknowledged ongoing investments in gas infrastructure, including progress on projects like the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline, Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS), and Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) pipeline, aimed at achieving ambitious targets of 10 billion cubic feet per day by 2027 and 12 billion by 2030.

While recognizing persistent challenges such as lingering public skepticism, oil theft, and global energy transitions, the CCSTEI called for continued support for Ojulari’s leadership.

It recommended further enhancements in public engagement, third-party audits, anti-corruption measures, local content development, and alignment with energy transition goals.

Concluding the appraisal, Dr. Emanuel stated: “Bashir Bayo Ojulari and his team for restoring confidence in NNPC Limited after many challenging years.

“You have proven that visionary leadership, coupled with accountability and performance excellence, can redefine an institution for the better. We charge you to soldier on undeterred.

“The Nigerian people are watching, and with your continued resolve, NNPC Limited will not only drive economic prosperity but also serve as a beacon of transparent governance in Africa.”