A Nigerian man has revealed his ordeal after returning from South Africa, claiming that growing xenophobic attacks caused him to abandon his business and return home for safety.
The herbal medicine merchant claimed he faced discrimination and violence while living in South Africa, and that many foreigners, mainly Nigerians, were targeted because of their nationality.
In a popular video, the man stated that running a business in South Africa presented major problems, particularly for foreigners who did not speak any indigenous South African languages.Video Sharing
“South Africa, we face a lot of challenge for where we do our business,” he said, adding that anyone identified as a foreigner was often treated differently.
According to him, successful Nigerians are generally regarded with distrust.
“If you buy a car or you do something nice, they will think maybe you are selling something that is not good to sell,” he claimed.
While conceding that some Nigerians may engage in criminal acts, he stressed that not all of them be condemned equally.
“It’s not all of Nigerians that are doing a bad thing in South Africa. But they focus on Nigerians too much,” he said.
The individual claimed that the situation has deteriorated in recent weeks, making it difficult for foreigners to travel freely or do their enterprises.
“And then for now, it’s terrible now. You can’t walk, can’t do anything. They are looting many things. We lost a lot of things in South Africa,” he claimed.
He described the recent wave of xenophobic attacks as more severe than earlier events.
“This xenophobia that is happening now is the worst,” he said, adding that foreigners were allegedly attacked regardless of whether they possessed valid immigration documents.
“Either you have a paper or you don’t have a paper, they must go back home. They don’t want to hear anything. They will loot you, they will take everything and then they will beat you,” he alleged.
The individual further said that during the violence, several people were killed, including a Nigerian who was just murdered in Sunnyside.
After returning to Nigeria, the herbal medicine vendor expressed joy that he had escaped uninjured.
“I’m so happy because I can’t be there and lose my life. I’m here in Nigeria now. I’m happy I came back to my fatherland,” he said.