NIGERIA-CHURCH COLLAPSE/SOUTH AFRICA South African Justice Minister seeks quick repatriation of his nationals

Record ID: 216625

  • Title: NIGERIA-CHURCH COLLAPSE/SOUTH AFRICA South African Justice Minister seeks quick repatriation of his nationals
  • Date: 12th November 2014
  • Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (NOVEMBER 11, 2014) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF SOUTH AFRICAN DIGNITARIES SEATED FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOUTH AFRICAN JUSTICE MINISTER, JEFF RADEBE, SAYING: "The president appointed me to be the special envoy to Nigeria to deal with this tragic event that took place on the 12th of September this year, whe
  • Embargoed: 27th November 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAB4NECWB4IRT4I7EV1BE98N9RM
  • Story Text: South African Justice Minister Jeff Radebe told a news conference on Tuesday (November 11) that he wanted the repatriation process of 81 nationals killed in the Nigerian building collapse tragedy to speed up.
    The building collapsed when three extra storeys were being added to the existing two of a guest house in the church compound, leaving 115 people dead, mostly South Africans.
    The guesthouse belonging to one of Nigeria's leading Christian pastors, T.B. Joshua, collapsed on September 12.
    Representatives of the South African government arrived in Nigeria on Monday (November 10) to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan.
    South African Justice Minister, Jeff Radebe says he is in Nigeria on behalf of the South African government.
    "The president appointed me to be the special envoy to Nigeria to deal with this tragic event that took place on the 12th of September this year, when about 116 people perished in the Synagogue. So since yesterday, we paid a courtesy visit to his excellency President Jonathan to convey the message from our President Jacob Zuma about the need for the speeding up of the process of repatriating 81 South African nationals who perished on this tragic event," he said.
    Radebe is hopeful that significant progress would be made by the weekend.
    "This has been an extraordinarily long time to ensure that we repatriate our compatriots, but we need also to acknowledge the patience of the families of the deceased who for almost two months now have to endure the pain, the suffering and the emotions that go with it, so that we hope that this weekend these families will be able to put closure to this very tragic event," the South African minister said.
    South Africa has said that Nigerian authorities did not react quickly enough to rescue those trapped under the rubble and had complained of the long delay in releasing the bodies of victims for repatriation and burial.
    Nigeria launched a court inquest in October into the collapse of the church guesthouse after South African officials accused Nigerian authorities of not doing enough to investigate the accident.

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