Not many Nigerians in South Africa are contemplating returning home, despite the risk of attacks on African immigrants residing in the country.
Many Nigerians and other foreign nationals had their businesses looted or burnt down, by locals in recent attacks in the Central Business District (CBD), Johannesburg, which later escalated to other areas of the Gauteng Province.
A mechanic village in GP Town, owned by Nigerians was set ablaze and over 100 cars razed. Some shops were also looted. Some Nigerians were injured in the attack, while five persons were confirmed killed and over 200 suspects arrested by the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Violence erupted after the shooting to death of a taxi driver in Pretoria by a drug lord, suspected to be a Nigerian, but later confirmed to be Tanzanian.
The incident sparked widespread outrage and a Nigerian airline, Air Peace, offered to fly Nigerians willing to return home free of charge.
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However, some Nigerians in South Africa who spoke with The Nigerian Xpress vowed to stay put regardless of the security challenges posed by the xenophobic attacks.
Michael Chijioke, a Nigerian accountant and businessman who has lived in South Africa for over 20 years said he would not leave his investments and return home to nothing.
Chijioke, who is married to a South African woman, said he is a legal immigrant. He said he wonders who will get on the plane back to Nigeria, as there are no better opportunities for those in Nigeria. He stressed that it is ridiculous to mention adding the number from South Africa to the army of unemployed back home.
The Nigerian who owns an accounting firm gives explanation of the situation on the ground, saying: “I own an accounting firm and a fast-food franchise in South Africa. I am married to a South African and our marriage is blessed with children. I have eight South Africans on my payroll. I contribute to the GDP of South Africa and so do many other professional Nigerians over here. We have many medical doctors from Nigeria in South African hospitals and several academics in South African American universities.
“For those of us doing good business, we obviously cannot leave South Africa. This is where our investments are. So, going back to Nigeria to start all over is not an option. The only problem we have here is that some Nigerians are criminally-minded. And this has made the locals quite uncomfortable around us. In SA, some Nigerians are into fraud, drugs, and we now have cases of kidnap for ransom by Nigerians.
“A Nigerian man will plan and execute the kidnap of his own brother and collect a huge amount of ransom. Cultism is even another big problem here. The Aiye and the others hit themselves at will. The locals don’t like such. This hatred for Nigerians is not just in SA alone, even in Europe, America, nobody wants Nigerians, and we need to do something about this. Our image has been battered. If we say we are being attacked and then the government sends an aircraft to bring us back home, what are we going back to do? I really wonder who will get on that aircraft. Nigeria lacks basic infrastructure, but here in SA, we have the infrastructure. Once the infrastructure is there one is hopeful for the better.”
Asked what can be done to stop the incessant attacks on Nigerians in SA and other countries, Chijioke said, “However, I will advise that Nigeria liaises with the South African government to round up those Nigerians who have no means of livelihood and bring them back home. Both governments should also go into a peace agreement. This is because the recent xenophobic attack further proved what hate can do. They attacked Nigerians in South Africa and Nigerians had to retaliate back home. No country can stand alone. As Africans, we need each other to grow the continent. As a country too, Nigerians need to come together. We need to seek solutions to our problem. We need to do better in terms of infrastructure, health, education, and every other area.”
Similarly, Yusuf Ajala, a phone accessories dealer in Johannesburg said he is not ready to come home. Yusuf who has lived in South Africa for seven years told The Nigerian Xpress correspondent in a WhatsApp chat that South Africans are only being jealous of the outstanding successes Nigerians are making in their country.
Ajala who hails from the South-west Nigeria said: “They are attacking Nigerians because they are jealous of Nigerians. We are richer than they. They are lazy and don’t like to work only to go around with ladies and drink. They are now telling lies that Nigerians are selling drugs, and that is why they are making so much money. This group of guys attacking Nigerians are street kids. They have no homes and only smoke drugs.
“At the slightest of provocation, they would start killing Nigerians, damage our shops, cars, houses and businesses. Even their police here are prejudiced. If Nigerians kill one South African, the police will kill 20 Nigerians. But on this recent attack, the police came late. The attackers and the police were even shooting each other because those guys have guns. If they really want to stop this, the police know how to get them. They are South Africans.
“Although things are calm now. I still don’t know of anyone who is close to me that was affected by the attack, but as time goes on, I will know because I have not seen some of my Nigerian friends since the attack. We just want South Africans to know we are not in their country to make trouble. We are just here to hustle and make money. Some of us really suffered before we came to South Africa and now that we are here, you do not expect us to fold our hands and except bread to fall on our lapse. We work hard because we have a family back home, expecting much from us. But one thing I will not do is to get into crime to make ends meet.
“Even with all that has happened, I still do not see it as an option to go back home. What will be my fate when I get to Nigeria. I was there for years and things were not okay but I chose to leave for good. As I am here, the Almighty is with me. Now the police are with me in my house and my shop too.”
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Nkechi (not her real name), a nurse, who is in South Africa with her husband and two children has a different view.
Nkechi said she had been leaving in fear since she joined her husband, a businessman in South Africa four years ago.
She said if the decision were hers to make, she would gladly return to Nigeria, rather than live in a country where she does not have peace.
Speaking via telephone, the Abia State native said, “When I was in Nigeria, I could face anyone who dared me. But here, in fact, the first thing my husband told me when I came to South Africa was to be extra patient and avoid trouble with the locals.
“But this one that every time when there is one small trouble, Nigerians will be afraid to go out, my husband won’t go to his place of business. We will lock ourselves up at home till normalcy returns. Please, it is better to be a slave in my fatherland than be a slave in another man’s land. South Africans just hate Nigerians. You have a case with a South African, go to the police and they discover you are a Nigerian, they will look for a way to turn the matter in favour of theirs.
“For me, I want to come back home. That is if my husband, the head of the family agrees. Because God has been protecting us this long, and we never can tell what will happen next. God forbid we become their next victims.”