* S. Africa has seen anti-foreign riots in recent days
* Riots sparked reprisal attacks on S. African business in
Nigeria
* Nigeria's president sent special envoy to S. African
leader
(Adds details of Nigeria violence)
By Chijioke Ohuocha and Nqobile Dludla
ABUJA/JOHANNESBURG, Sept 4 (Reuters) - South African
companies MTN MTNJ.J MTNN.LG and Shoprite SHPJ.J closed
stores in Nigeria on Wednesday in the face of attacks targeting
their premises in retaliation to similar violence in their home
country.
Nigeria's vice president is also boycotting an economic
forum in Cape Town on boosting intra-African trade, the
country's foreign minister said, after days of rioting in South
Africa aimed at foreign-owned businesses. At a Shoprite supermarket on the outskirts of the Nigerian
capital Abuja, hundreds of protesters tried to break into the
premises, throwing stones, setting fire to tires and nearly
overwhelming police protecting the site.
After police fired a barrage of teargas at the crowd, they
dispersed, according to a Reuters witness.
The Nigerian division of telecom operator MTN said on
Wednesday morning it would shut all stores and service centres
in the country until further notice.
"The safety and security of our customers, staff and
partners is our primary concern," MTN Nigeria said in a
statement. "MTN condemns any acts of violence, prejudice and
xenophobia."
Nigeria is MTN's biggest market, with 58 million users in
2018 and accounts for a third of the South African group's core
profit.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama on Wednesday
implored people to stop attacking these businesses.
"These businesses, Shoprite, MTN and others, yes, they are
South African," he said at a press briefing.
"But these are subsidiaries in Nigeria owned by Nigerians.
So, as attacks are made against Shoprite and other such
institutions, it is actually the property owned by Nigerians
within Nigeria and the people working there are Nigerians."
"XENOPHOBIC VIOLENCE"
Shoprite said several stores in South Africa, Nigeria and
Zambia were closed and extensive damage had been done to several
supermarkets over the past 24 hours.
"The retailer is highly concerned about the acts of
xenophobic violence against foreign nationals," the grocer added
in its statement.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told officials and
business leaders on Wednesday that he was committed to quelling
attacks on foreigners. The latest wave of unrest in South Africa has raised fears
of a recurrence of violence in 2015 aimed at foreigners and in
which at least seven people were killed. Before that, some 60
people were killed in a wave of unrest around the country in
2008.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said on Tuesday he was
urgently sending a special envoy to meet with Ramaphosa to
secure the "safety of (Nigerian citizens') lives and property".
Additionally, Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo won't
be going to the World Economic Forum's Africa summit in South
Africa, Onyeama said at his briefing. Osinbajo was slated to
attend.
"Clearly with this climate, he and Mr. President have agreed
that he should not go," Onyeama said.
Nigeria is also considering recalling its ambassador to
South Africa, he said.
South African police have yet to pinpoint what prompted the
violence, which began on Sunday when protesters armed with
makeshift weapons roamed the streets of Pretoria's business
district, pelting shops with rocks and petrol bombs and running
off with goods.
The police have arrested almost 300 people and confirmed
several deaths after the riots.