Why We Hate Nigerians – South African

Thabile Sibeko, the leader of the Inizwe Nathi Party, has publicly stated that she and other South Africans harbor intense resentment toward Nigerians during a recent period of xenophobic attacks against foreigners.

As Nigerians prepared to leave the country, Sibeko appeared in a video published by News Central to celebrate their departure, saying, “I’m here to bid farewell to Nigeria, to make sure that they are leaving our country and to say to them bye-bye, Nigeria. Thank you for all you contributed to our country.”

Sibeko expressed her hope that those leaving would reflect on their actions, adding, “We did not appreciate the wrongs that you have done, and we hope that you have learned a lesson, and we want to encourage them when they go to other countries, they must take care of other countries.”

She further blamed Nigerians for local issues, stating, “Today we’ve got zombies in our streets as our children because of them, and that has cut deep in our hearts and that has made us to resent them with all that we have and we hope that they take a journey safe next time they come they know South Africa loves its people and its country.”

She concluded by saying, “Nigeria is horrible, these people are horrible. They’ve killed our children with drugs, and that is the reason why we are so strong on Nigeria because of their behaviour.”

Meanwhile, 258 Nigerians were evacuated from South Africa and reached Lagos on Thursday, accompanied by Nigerian embassy officials under the guidance of Acting High Commissioner Ambassador Temitope Alexander Ajayi.

Welcoming them back, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye declared, “No Nigerian should live in fear simply because of their nationality.”

He described the evacuation as proof of the federal government’s dedication to the safety of its citizens abroad, asserting that the government would not accept the targeting of Nigerians.

Enikanolaiye noted that the government is actively communicating with South African leaders to resolve the situation, saying, “The Federal Government remains fully engaged with the South African authorities at the highest levels to ensure protection of Nigerian nationals and to address the root causes of these unfortunate incidents.”

He added, “This exercise underscores the government’s proactive and decisive response to protect Nigerians’ lives and dignity in the face of violence and intolerance.”

He also mentioned that “More flights carrying returnees are expected to arrive in the country in the coming days as the evacuation exercise continues.”

The returnees are currently being processed, documented, and given medical screenings before being reunited with their families.