•‘Nigerian men are hardworking, caring’
South African women have condemned xenophobic attacks on Nigerians, especially men, in their land. They described Nigerian men as “hardworking and caring”.
Mrs. Lindi Duru said: “Nigerians are not the ones selling drugs, it’s the Pakistanis, but because all foreigners speak English, they categorise them as Nigerians but it’s not true, even those places where foreigners are being attacked, Nigerians don’t stay there, such as Mpumalanga, Soweto and the rest. Xenophobia is not against Nigerians, it’s against those dealing in drugs.
“The issue of Nigerians taking their jobs and wives is not true, but because all foreigners speak English they tag them as Nigerians, it does not matter wherever they are coming from but because they speak English.
Nigerians are our husbands so why should our people be killing them when they know Nigerians are their brothers in-law, married to their sisters. It is the Zimbabweans who are attacking Nigerians, but because they also speak Zulu, Nigerians believe they are South Africans, but South Africans cannot kill Nigerians.
My husband is a Nigerian, we married 24 years ago in The Assemblies of God Church and we have been living happily with our four children. My husband is a gentle and a caring man, so someone like me can never support xenophobic attack against Nigerians.”
Anita Fred said: “It depends on individuals. Though some foreigners are here to cause mischief and havoc, some are here to do good things and return to their land. Some are here to destroy South Africa and South Africans with drugs, prostitution and all forms of vices. To South African ladies, it depends on what they want. There are reports that Nigerian men are using them for drugs and prostitution because they claim South African ladies like money a lot. My take is that how can a lady date a guy who is destroying her life, who sells drugs and he tells you before he can give you money you have to go out there and sell the drugs for him, and you agree to do that? For me I can’t do that. If you don’t want to do something nobody can force you to do it.
“I also advise our girls to have a backbone, as an adult you know what is right or wrong, I understand that most Nigerian men say our girls like money. My take on xenophobic attack is that those foreigners who are not here legally should go back to their country and come here in a right way.”
Sindiliwe Buthelezi said: “Although I have heard cases of Nigerians giving drugs to our girls, some of these girls are in rehabilitation centres but I blame them, I don’t blame the Nigerians. Most of our girls fall prey to such men because they are lazy and don’t want to work, they are looking for a man to give them money and that is why they fall victims. I am in a relationship with a Nigerian who is a true Christian and we love each other so much. He is also hard working, he works as a mechanic, when we met and he proposed to me the first question I asked is what does he do for a living? But many of our girls don’t ask such questions once the guy is spending money on them they don’t bother to know his source of income.”
Thando Skritshi said: “I am happy and proud to be associated with Nigerians. My husband is a Nigerian, Yoruba, and we have been married for five years. I would say I am lucky to have him because not all Nigerians in South Africa are actually good, but I am just lucky to meet one of the good ones, we’ve been married for five years and I have no regret. On the issue of xenophobia, I won’t support it at all because no country can survive on its own, we need foreigners, we need them to help us develop our economy, no man is an island. On the issue of Nigerians taking their jobs and wives, it is not true because 90 percent of the job goes to South Africans, that is the new law, only 10 percent are reserved for foreigners and we have so many foreigners here, not only Nigerians. Many Nigerians that are here are skilled, their ladies are into fashion designs or hair dressing while the men mostly are mechanics or clergymen, some of them also own shops where they sell various items so which jobs are they taking?”
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