At least 700 Nigerians remain stranded in South Africa three days before the June 30 deadline issued by anti-immigration groups.

It was gathered that despite President Bola Tinubu’s approval of funds for their evacuation, bureaucratic delays have prevented the release of the money, leaving hundreds stranded amid escalating xenophobic tensions.

Although the president approved funding for four additional rescue flights after the first evacuation brought home 258 Nigerians, the money had yet to reach the designated carrier, Air Peace.

This delay, according to officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and the Nigeria High Commission in South Africa, is stalling the evacuation operation and leaving hundreds of Nigerians exposed to attacks.

The delay has heightened fears among the stranded Nigerians as xenophobic tensions continue to escalate across South Africa.

The President of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, Rev. Frank Onyekwelu has said over 20 Nigerians had died since the renewed wave of anti-foreigner attacks, while many others had been assaulted, displaced or forced to abandon their businesses.

According to the officials, over 1,000 Nigerians registered with the federal government for evacuation. However, only 324 have been successfully brought home so far through a combination of government efforts and private intervention, leaving more than 700 Nigerians at risk of attacks and exposed to the elements.

The first batch of returnees (258) arrived in Lagos on June 11 aboard Air Peace, while the second batch (66) arrived on June 24 aboard ValueJet.

The Group Chairman of MTN, Mcebisi Jonas, has condemned the ongoing attack on foreigners in South Africa , saying the country’s economic growth would suffer without the rest of Africa.

Delivering a deeply political eulogy at the funeral of Zimbabwean-born activist and public servant Thokozani Damasane, the former South African Deputy Minister of Finance turned private-sector leader issued one of the most direct interventions by a major African business figure on the country’s immigration crisis.

He pushed back against the narrative that removing foreign nationals would solve South Africa’s socioeconomic woes, attributing the crisis instead to state failure and cynical political exploitation.

“Foreigners can leave tomorrow – inequality will be with us,” Jonas told the congregation. “Foreigners will leave tomorrow – unemployment will be with us. Foreigners will leave tomorrow – our police will remain corrupt. Foreigners will leave tomorrow – our politicians will still be concerned with one thing: being elected and re-elected.”

He placed responsibility for the crisis squarely on the South African government, arguing that weak law enforcement and failing systems have created fertile ground for political manipulation. “The problem is the failure of the state. The state doesn’t manage immigration. It doesn’t manage its borders. It doesn’t enforce law enforcement. It doesn’t manage education. What are you expecting?” he asked.

When citizens feel the burn of state failure, Jonas noted, they become vulnerable to opportunists. “When people feel the burn, they become vulnerable to politicians whose sole purpose is to be elected and re-elected. Some of them have no credibility whatsoever. But they lead marches and tell our people that the problem is not us – it is foreigners.”

Beyond immediate political failures, Jonas offered a sharp historical critique of tribalism and ethno-nationalism, describing them as colonial inheritances designed to divide African people. “The tribe is a product of colonial powers,” he argued, noting that ethnic divisions were historically amplified to enforce indirect rule.

He lamented that this colonial logic has mutated into the engine driving contemporary xenophobic violence. “You would see in the streets, it’s no longer about whether you are from South Africa or not from South Africa. It’s about the tribe, it’s about who you are, you are not like us, and you are different, and therefore we have to persecute you. Something fundamental has been lost in our country. Something fundamental has been lost in our nations,” Jonas said.

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Nigrrian actor Joseph Momodu has announced his enlistment in the United States Army after completing 10 weeks of Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

In an Instagram post on Friday, Momodu said he had been unreachable for 10 weeks.

“From inception, I have always believed in achievements earned through merit, which is why I constantly push myself beyond limits.”

“Ten weeks of being incommunicado. Ten weeks of learning to find comfort in discomfort,” he wrote.

He is now serving as Specialist SPC J.A. Momodu with 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 3-10, 3rd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment.

“Today, it is official: Specialist (SPC) J.A. Momodu, United States Army @usarmy, 1st Platoon, Charlie Company, 3-10, 3rd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.”

He described the training period as demanding, marked by limited communication, physical exhaustion, and mental pressure.

“This particular one was forged through tears, fear of failure, resilience, endless days, short nights, fatigue, rain, and the scorching sun.”

“There were moments of doubt and times I questioned myself, “who sent me a message?” But I never lost sight of the finish line. We trained tirelessly, were broken down and rebuilt”