– The Xenophobic attacks in South Africa have gone over the borderline with the series of attacks launched on Nigerians and other nationals in the country
– For the past few weeks, Nigerians at home have loved in apprehension as they do not know the extent of the damage done to their people in the country
Emmeka Uhanna, a Nigerian shop owner living in South Africa.
Nigerians in South Africa are tensed with the ugly event going on in different cities of the country. It is rather unfortunate that Nigerians and other Africans has become a target for the xenophobic attackers with twisted minds.
A number of reasons were analyzed to have been the cause of the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians. As serious as the reasons are, they do not justify the execution of the attacks. Nigerians in South Africa have shared their opinions on these attacks while many of them have reiterated the need for the government to step in and come to their aid.
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Travelling outside the country in search of greener pastures has become a big deal now since the choice of country where the hustling would be done is very important in order not to be doomed. Some Nigerians have already been killed in the attacks.
Some Nigerians have lived in South Africa all their lives and have invested in the nation’s economy; thus, It is hard for them to leave everything behind and run when the situation has turned out this way.
The xenophobic attacks have become a major point of concern for Nigerians at home and abroad.
Emmeka Uhanna, a 47-year-old Nigerian who is a shop owner in Johannesburg, shares his story and shares his opinions on the attacks. Like many Nigerians who have lived in South Africa for long, Uhanna got married to a South African woman and has two children, ages 14 and 16.
Having moved to South Africa, Uhanna had settled down in the country and had expressed his grief over the ugly xenophobic attacks.
His wife is also worried about the future of their children if the attacks are not stopped. Note that this would be the third time the attacks will be launched in South Africa. There was one in 2008 with the most recent set against year 2015.
Uhanna said he keeps getting calls from concerned family members who want to know if they are safe and well. He, along with some people, lives far away from the violence but those found in the poorer zones may not be able to tell the same story.
The poorer zones are dangerous; police have no control over the things that go down there. Uhanna is worried about the other Africans that may be victims of the ugly incident even though they are not criminals.
Like the other Nigerians who have taken South Africa as their second home, he is heartbroken to see that the country is now filled with hatred for other Africans and foreigners.
Nigerians and other nationals risk being attacked in these xenophobic attacks.
Uhanna also spoke on the fighting stereotype as he said emphasis on Nigerians being asked accused of prostitution and drug pushing. He said he is not a criminal and Nigerians are not the only ones committing crimes there.
It’s important for South Africans to know that not all of us are criminals, the same way not all South Africans are engaged in crime. He said South Africans have to understand that it is not good to paint everyone with the same brush.
Accpording to him, there are many law-abiding foreigners that are willing to help develop the country and not necessarily increase the criminal records.
As a restaurant owner in Randburg, he makes Nigerian and South African meals in addition to running a liquor store that has been in existence since 2007. Some of his employees are South Africans.
Uhanna stated that there he was a point he had nothing and no one. He had to work hard to build what he has now and it is disheartening to see how unstable the country has been because of the xenophobic attacks. He had gone into the country to study but did not expect things to turn out this way.
He worked many part time jobs that helped him go through school and set up his businesses. He sees South Africa as his home even though he expressed his bitterness over the criminal life there. Uhanna said seeing your neighbor who is not from your country doing better than you can trigger some ill thoughts and high tensions.
Nigerians by default are showy and enjoy being in lime-light; he said Nigerians have basket mouth and will always love to be noticed. Having small money will make them boisterous and that could fuel the anger of the South Africans.
Conclusively, Uhanna said Nigerians living in South Africa should be conscious of the things they do; they should be sensitive to things their boasts could cause.
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He also stressed on the fact that foreigners have to abide by the laws of the country. He begged the government to address the problems that could arise with migration in order to secure the future of the growing generation.
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